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335 * Gnus: (gnus). The newsreader Gnus.
340 @setchapternewpage odd
347 @author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
349 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
355 @top The Gnus Newsreader
359 You can read news (and mail) from within Emacs by using Gnus. The news
360 can be gotten by any nefarious means you can think of---@acronym{NNTP}, local
361 spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your
364 @c Adjust ../Makefile.in if you change the following line:
365 This manual corresponds to Gnus v5.13
376 Gnus is the advanced, self-documenting, customizable, extensible
377 unreal-time newsreader for GNU Emacs.
379 Oops. That sounds oddly familiar, so let's start over again to avoid
380 being accused of plagiarism:
382 Gnus is a message-reading laboratory. It will let you look at just
383 about anything as if it were a newsgroup. You can read mail with it,
384 you can browse directories with it, you can @code{ftp} with it---you
385 can even read news with it!
387 Gnus tries to empower people who read news the same way Emacs empowers
388 people who edit text. Gnus sets no limits to what the user should be
389 allowed to do. Users are encouraged to extend Gnus to make it behave
390 like they want it to behave. A program should not control people;
391 people should be empowered to do what they want by using (or abusing)
397 * Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
398 * Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
399 * Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
400 * Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
401 * Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
402 * Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
403 * Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
404 * Various:: General purpose settings.
405 * The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
406 * Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, @acronym{FAQ}, History, Internals.
407 * GNU Free Documentation License:: The license for this documentation.
408 * Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
409 * Key Index:: Key Index.
411 Other related manuals
413 * Message:(message). Composing messages.
414 * Emacs-MIME:(emacs-mime). Composing messages; @acronym{MIME}-specific parts.
415 * Sieve:(sieve). Managing Sieve scripts in Emacs.
416 * PGG:(pgg). @acronym{PGP/MIME} with Gnus.
417 * SASL:(sasl). @acronym{SASL} authentication in Emacs.
420 --- The Detailed Node Listing ---
424 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
425 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
426 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
427 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
428 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
429 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
430 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
431 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
432 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
433 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
434 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
438 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
439 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
440 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
444 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
445 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
446 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
447 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
448 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
449 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
450 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
451 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
452 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
453 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
454 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
455 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
456 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
457 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
458 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
459 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
460 * Non-ASCII Group Names:: Accessing groups of non-English names.
461 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
465 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
466 * Group Mode Line Specification:: The group buffer mode line.
467 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
471 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
472 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
473 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
474 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
475 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
479 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
480 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
481 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
482 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
483 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
487 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
488 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
489 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
490 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
491 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
492 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
493 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
494 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
495 * Threading:: How threads are made.
496 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
497 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
498 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
499 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
500 * Sticky Articles:: Article buffers that are not reused.
501 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
502 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
503 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
504 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
505 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
506 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
507 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
508 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
509 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
510 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
511 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
512 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
513 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
514 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
515 or reselecting the current group.
516 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
517 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
518 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
519 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
521 Summary Buffer Format
523 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
524 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
525 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
526 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
530 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
531 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
533 Reply, Followup and Post
535 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
536 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
537 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
538 * Canceling and Superseding::
542 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
543 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
544 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
545 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
546 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
547 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
551 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
552 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
554 Customizing Threading
556 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
557 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
558 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
559 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over@dots{} but you were wrong!
563 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
564 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
565 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
566 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
567 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
568 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
572 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
573 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
574 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
578 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
579 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
580 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
581 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
582 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
583 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
584 * Article Button Levels:: Controlling appearance of buttons.
585 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
586 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
587 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
588 * Article Miscellanea:: Various other stuff.
590 Alternative Approaches
592 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
593 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
595 Various Summary Stuff
597 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
598 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
599 * Summary Generation Commands::
600 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
604 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
605 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @acronym{MIME} before reading them.
606 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
607 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
608 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
612 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
613 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
614 * POP before SMTP:: You cannot send a mail unless you read a mail.
615 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
616 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
617 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
618 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
619 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
620 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
624 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
625 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
626 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
627 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
628 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @acronym{IMAP} client.
629 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
630 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
631 * Email Based Diary:: Using mails to manage diary events in Gnus.
632 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
636 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
637 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
638 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
639 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
640 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
641 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
642 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
646 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @acronym{NNTP} server.
647 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
651 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
652 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
653 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
654 * NNTP marks:: Storing marks for @acronym{NNTP} servers.
658 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
659 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
660 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
661 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
662 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
663 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
664 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
665 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
666 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
667 * Washing Mail:: Removing cruft from the mail you get.
668 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
669 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
670 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
674 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
675 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
676 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
678 Choosing a Mail Back End
680 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
681 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the Rmail Babyl format.
682 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
683 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
684 * Maildir:: Another one-file-per-message format.
685 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
686 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
691 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
692 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
693 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
694 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
695 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
696 * Customizing W3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/W3 from Gnus.
700 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
701 * Expiring in IMAP:: Expiring mail with nnimap.
702 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
703 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a ``compress mailbox'' button.
704 * A note on namespaces:: How to (not) use @acronym{IMAP} namespace in Gnus.
705 * Debugging IMAP:: What to do when things don't work.
709 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
710 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
711 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
712 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
713 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
717 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
721 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
722 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
723 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
727 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
728 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
732 * The NNDiary Back End:: Basic setup and usage.
733 * The Gnus Diary Library:: Utility toolkit on top of nndiary.
734 * Sending or Not Sending:: A final note on sending diary messages.
738 * Diary Messages:: What makes a message valid for nndiary.
739 * Running NNDiary:: NNDiary has two modes of operation.
740 * Customizing NNDiary:: Bells and whistles.
742 The Gnus Diary Library
744 * Diary Summary Line Format:: A nicer summary buffer line format.
745 * Diary Articles Sorting:: A nicer way to sort messages.
746 * Diary Headers Generation:: Not doing it manually.
747 * Diary Group Parameters:: Not handling them manually.
751 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
752 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
753 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
754 * Agent Visuals:: Ways that the agent may effect your summary buffer.
755 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
756 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
757 * Agent Regeneration:: How to recover from lost connections and other accidents.
758 * Agent and flags:: How the Agent maintains flags.
759 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with @acronym{IMAP}.
760 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
761 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
762 * Example Setup:: An example @file{~/.gnus.el} file for offline people.
763 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
764 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
768 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
769 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
770 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
774 * Group Agent Commands:: Configure groups and fetch their contents.
775 * Summary Agent Commands:: Manually select then fetch specific articles.
776 * Server Agent Commands:: Select the servers that are supported by the agent.
780 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
781 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
782 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
783 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
784 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
785 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
786 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
787 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
788 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
789 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
790 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
791 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
792 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
793 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
794 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
795 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
799 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
800 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
801 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
805 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
806 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
807 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
808 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
809 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
810 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
811 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
812 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
813 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
814 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
815 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
816 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
817 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
818 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
819 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
820 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
821 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
822 * Thwarting Email Spam:: Simple ways to avoid unsolicited commercial email.
823 * Spam Package:: A package for filtering and processing spam.
824 * Other modes:: Interaction with other modes.
825 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
829 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
830 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
831 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
832 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
833 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
834 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
835 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
836 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
840 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
841 * Face:: Display a funkier, teensier colored image.
842 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were
844 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
845 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
849 * The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
850 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
851 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
852 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
856 * Spam Package Introduction::
857 * Filtering Incoming Mail::
858 * Detecting Spam in Groups::
859 * Spam and Ham Processors::
860 * Spam Package Configuration Examples::
862 * Extending the Spam package::
863 * Spam Statistics Package::
865 Spam Statistics Package
867 * Creating a spam-stat dictionary::
868 * Splitting mail using spam-stat::
869 * Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary::
873 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
874 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
875 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
876 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
877 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
878 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
879 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
880 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
881 * Frequently Asked Questions:: The Gnus FAQ
885 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
886 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
887 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
888 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
889 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
890 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
891 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
892 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
893 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
897 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
898 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
899 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
900 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
901 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
902 * Oort Gnus:: It's big. It's far out. Gnus 5.10/5.11.
903 * No Gnus:: Very punny.
907 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
908 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
909 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
910 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
914 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
915 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
916 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
917 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
918 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
919 * Group Info:: The group info format.
920 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
921 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
922 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
926 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
927 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
928 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
929 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
930 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
931 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
935 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
936 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
940 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
941 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
947 @chapter Starting Gnus
950 If you haven't used Emacs much before using Gnus, read @ref{Emacs for
955 If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting Gnus
956 and reading news is extremely easy---you just type @kbd{M-x gnus} in
957 your Emacs. If not, you should customize the variable
958 @code{gnus-select-method} as described in @ref{Finding the News}. For a
959 minimal setup for posting should also customize the variables
960 @code{user-full-name} and @code{user-mail-address}.
962 @findex gnus-other-frame
963 @kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
964 If you want to start Gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
965 @kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
967 If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
968 variables in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file. This file is similar to
969 @file{~/.emacs}, but is read when Gnus starts.
971 If you puzzle at any terms used in this manual, please refer to the
972 terminology section (@pxref{Terminology}).
975 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
976 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
977 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
978 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
979 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
980 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
981 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
982 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
983 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
984 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
988 @node Finding the News
989 @section Finding the News
992 @vindex gnus-select-method
994 The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where Gnus should look for
995 news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
996 @dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
997 native method. All groups not fetched with this method are
1000 For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @acronym{NNTP} server is where
1001 you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
1004 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
1007 If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
1010 (setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
1013 If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
1014 certainly be much faster. But do not use the local spool if your
1015 server is running Leafnode (which is a simple, standalone private news
1016 server); in this case, use @code{(nntp "localhost")}.
1018 @vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
1020 @cindex @acronym{NNTP} server
1021 If this variable is not set, Gnus will take a look at the
1022 @env{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
1023 Gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
1024 (@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter.
1025 If that fails as well, Gnus will try to use the machine running Emacs
1026 as an @acronym{NNTP} server. That's a long shot, though.
1028 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1029 If @code{gnus-nntp-server} is set, this variable will override
1030 @code{gnus-select-method}. You should therefore set
1031 @code{gnus-nntp-server} to @code{nil}, which is what it is by default.
1033 @vindex gnus-secondary-servers
1034 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1035 You can also make Gnus prompt you interactively for the name of an
1036 @acronym{NNTP} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
1037 (i.e., @kbd{C-u M-x gnus}), Gnus will let you choose between the servers
1038 in the @code{gnus-secondary-servers} list (if any). You can also just
1039 type in the name of any server you feel like visiting. (Note that this
1040 will set @code{gnus-nntp-server}, which means that if you then @kbd{M-x
1041 gnus} later in the same Emacs session, Gnus will contact the same
1044 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
1046 However, if you use one @acronym{NNTP} server regularly and are just
1047 interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
1048 better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
1049 let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
1050 to any of the groups you want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc}
1051 maintenance much tidier. @xref{Foreign Groups}.
1053 @vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
1055 A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
1056 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
1057 listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
1058 @code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
1059 files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
1060 appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
1063 For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} back end to read your mail,
1064 you would typically set this variable to
1067 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
1070 Note: the @acronym{NNTP} back end stores marks in marks files
1071 (@pxref{NNTP marks}). This feature makes it easy to share marks between
1072 several Gnus installations, but may slow down things a bit when fetching
1073 new articles. @xref{NNTP marks}, for more information.
1076 @node The First Time
1077 @section The First Time
1078 @cindex first time usage
1080 If no startup files exist (@pxref{Startup Files}), Gnus will try to
1081 determine what groups should be subscribed by default.
1083 @vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
1084 If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, Gnus
1085 will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
1086 killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
1089 Since she hasn't, Gnus will just subscribe you to a few arbitrarily
1090 picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is defined
1091 here as @dfn{whatever Lars thinks you should read}.)
1093 You'll also be subscribed to the Gnus documentation group, which should
1094 help you with most common problems.
1096 If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, Gnus will just
1097 use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
1101 @node The Server is Down
1102 @section The Server is Down
1103 @cindex server errors
1105 If the default server is down, Gnus will understandably have some
1106 problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
1107 the news groups, you may want to start Gnus anyway.
1109 Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
1110 without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
1111 will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
1112 given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
1113 for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
1114 groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
1115 buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
1117 @findex gnus-no-server
1118 @kindex M-x gnus-no-server
1120 If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
1121 your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
1122 @code{gnus-no-server} command to start Gnus. That might come in handy
1123 if you're in a hurry as well. This command will not attempt to contact
1124 your primary server---instead, it will just activate all groups on level
1125 1 and 2. (You should preferably keep no native groups on those two
1126 levels.) Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
1130 @section Slave Gnusae
1133 You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one Gnus at the
1134 same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (e.g., if you
1135 are using the two different Gnusae to read from two different servers),
1136 that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
1138 The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae that use the same
1139 @file{.newsrc} file.
1141 To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the Gnus
1142 Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
1143 @dfn{slaves}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
1144 taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
1145 conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
1146 me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
1147 Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
1150 Anyway, you start one Gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
1151 however you do it). Each subsequent slave Gnusae should be started with
1152 @kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
1153 files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contain information only
1154 on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master Gnus
1155 starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
1156 information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
1157 they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
1159 Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
1160 information in the normal (i.e., master) @file{.newsrc} file.
1162 If the @file{.newsrc*} files have not been saved in the master when the
1163 slave starts, you may be prompted as to whether to read an auto-save
1164 file. If you answer ``yes'', the unsaved changes to the master will be
1165 incorporated into the slave. If you answer ``no'', the slave may see some
1166 messages as unread that have been read in the master.
1173 @cindex subscription
1175 @vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
1176 If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
1177 you can set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
1178 also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
1179 @code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
1180 @kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
1181 is @code{ask-server} by default. If you set this variable to
1182 @code{always}, then Gnus will query the back ends for new groups even
1183 when you do the @kbd{g} command (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
1186 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
1187 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
1188 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
1192 @node Checking New Groups
1193 @subsection Checking New Groups
1195 Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
1196 list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
1197 dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
1198 @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, Gnus will ask the
1199 server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster and
1200 cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
1201 groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
1202 @code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
1203 Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
1204 Unfortunately, not all servers support this command.
1206 I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
1207 server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
1208 fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
1209 @code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
1210 few days. If any do, then it works. If none do, then it doesn't
1211 work. I could write a function to make Gnus guess whether the server
1212 supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
1213 You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
1214 whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
1215 it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
1216 @samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
1218 This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, Gnus will
1219 issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
1220 subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
1221 if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
1222 that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
1223 Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
1226 @node Subscription Methods
1227 @subsection Subscription Methods
1229 @vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
1230 What Gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
1231 @code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
1233 This variable should contain a function. This function will be called
1234 with the name of the new group as the only parameter.
1236 Some handy pre-fab functions are:
1240 @item gnus-subscribe-zombies
1241 @vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
1242 Make all new groups zombies. This is the default. You can browse the
1243 zombies later (with @kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly
1244 (with @kbd{S z}), or subscribe to them (with @kbd{u}).
1246 @item gnus-subscribe-randomly
1247 @vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
1248 Subscribe all new groups in arbitrary order. This really means that all
1249 new groups will be added at ``the top'' of the group buffer.
1251 @item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1252 @vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1253 Subscribe all new groups in alphabetical order.
1255 @item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1256 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1257 Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
1258 function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
1259 @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
1260 alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into its
1261 hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
1262 @samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
1263 up. Or something like that.
1265 @item gnus-subscribe-interactively
1266 @vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
1267 Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that Gnus will ask
1268 you about @strong{all} new groups. The groups you choose to subscribe
1269 to will be subscribed hierarchically.
1271 @item gnus-subscribe-killed
1272 @vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
1273 Kill all new groups.
1275 @item gnus-subscribe-topics
1276 @vindex gnus-subscribe-topics
1277 Put the groups into the topic that has a matching @code{subscribe} topic
1278 parameter (@pxref{Topic Parameters}). For instance, a @code{subscribe}
1279 topic parameter that looks like
1285 will mean that all groups that match that regex will be subscribed under
1288 If no topics match the groups, the groups will be subscribed in the
1293 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
1294 A closely related variable is
1295 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
1296 mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you in a
1297 hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
1298 will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
1301 One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above
1302 (@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method}) to
1303 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
1304 will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
1307 @node Filtering New Groups
1308 @subsection Filtering New Groups
1310 A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
1311 subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
1312 the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
1315 options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
1318 @vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
1319 This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
1320 person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
1321 groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
1322 be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
1323 be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
1324 subscribing these groups.
1325 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
1326 variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
1328 @vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
1329 @vindex gnus-options-subscribe
1330 If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
1331 set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
1332 @code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
1333 same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
1334 and if the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
1335 subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
1337 @vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
1338 Yet another variable that meddles here is
1339 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
1340 @code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous,
1341 but I thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is
1342 more meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is
1343 used more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new
1344 groups that come from mail back ends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
1345 @code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, @code{nnmh}, and @code{nnmaildir})
1346 subscribed. If you don't like that, just set this variable to
1349 New groups that match this regexp are subscribed using
1350 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}.
1353 @node Changing Servers
1354 @section Changing Servers
1355 @cindex changing servers
1357 Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @acronym{NNTP} server to another.
1358 This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
1359 very flaky and you want to use another.
1361 Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
1362 @code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
1366 Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
1367 @acronym{NNTP} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
1368 you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
1369 change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
1372 Gnus provides a few functions to attempt to translate a @file{.newsrc}
1373 file from one server to another. They all have one thing in
1374 common---they take a looong time to run. You don't want to use these
1375 functions more than absolutely necessary.
1377 @kindex M-x gnus-change-server
1378 @findex gnus-change-server
1379 If you have access to both servers, Gnus can request the headers for all
1380 the articles you have read and compare @code{Message-ID}s and map the
1381 article numbers of the read articles and article marks. The @kbd{M-x
1382 gnus-change-server} command will do this for all your native groups. It
1383 will prompt for the method you want to move to.
1385 @kindex M-x gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1386 @findex gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1387 You can also move individual groups with the @kbd{M-x
1388 gnus-group-move-group-to-server} command. This is useful if you want to
1389 move a (foreign) group from one server to another.
1391 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1392 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1393 If you don't have access to both the old and new server, all your marks
1394 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use the @kbd{M-x
1395 gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} command to clear out all data
1396 that you have on your native groups. Use with caution.
1398 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data
1399 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
1400 Clear the data from the current group only---nix out marks and the
1401 list of read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
1403 After changing servers, you @strong{must} move the cache hierarchy away,
1404 since the cached articles will have wrong article numbers, which will
1405 affect which articles Gnus thinks are read.
1406 @code{gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} will ask you if you want
1407 to have it done automatically; for @code{gnus-group-clear-data}, you
1408 can use @kbd{M-x gnus-cache-move-cache} (but beware, it will move the
1409 cache for all groups).
1413 @section Startup Files
1414 @cindex startup files
1419 Most common Unix news readers use a shared startup file called
1420 @file{.newsrc}. This file contains all the information about what
1421 groups are subscribed, and which articles in these groups have been
1424 Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{gnus}. In addition to
1425 keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
1426 @file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
1427 the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
1428 the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{gnus} would read whichever one of these
1429 files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
1430 @sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
1432 That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
1433 @file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
1434 @file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
1435 recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file. You should
1436 never delete the @file{.newsrc.eld} file---it contains much information
1437 not stored in the @file{.newsrc} file.
1439 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
1440 @vindex gnus-read-newsrc-file
1441 You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
1442 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
1443 the file and save some space, as well as exiting from Gnus faster.
1444 However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
1445 Gnus. But hey, who would want to, right? Similarly, setting
1446 @code{gnus-read-newsrc-file} to @code{nil} makes Gnus ignore the
1447 @file{.newsrc} file and any @file{.newsrc-SERVER} files, which can be
1448 convenient if you use a different news reader occasionally, and you
1449 want to read a different subset of the available groups with that
1452 @vindex gnus-save-killed-list
1453 If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
1454 will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
1455 save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
1456 will also mean that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
1457 so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
1458 You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
1459 @code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
1460 Groups}). This variable can also be a regular expression. If that's
1461 the case, remove all groups that do not match this regexp before
1462 saving. This can be useful in certain obscure situations that involve
1463 several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
1465 @vindex gnus-startup-file
1466 @vindex gnus-backup-startup-file
1467 @vindex version-control
1468 The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
1469 The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
1470 file being whatever that one is, with a @samp{.eld} appended.
1471 If you want version control for this file, set
1472 @code{gnus-backup-startup-file}. It respects the same values as the
1473 @code{version-control} variable.
1475 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
1476 @vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
1477 @vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
1478 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
1479 files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
1480 saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
1481 @code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
1482 @file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
1483 control on or off. Version control is on by default when saving the
1484 startup files. If you want to turn backup creation off, say something like:
1487 (defun turn-off-backup ()
1488 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
1490 (add-hook 'gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1491 (add-hook 'gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1494 @vindex gnus-init-file
1495 @vindex gnus-site-init-file
1496 When Gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file}
1497 (@file{.../site-lisp/gnus-init} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file}
1498 (@file{~/.gnus} by default) files. These are normal Emacs Lisp files
1499 and can be used to avoid cluttering your @file{~/.emacs} and
1500 @file{site-init} files with Gnus stuff. Gnus will also check for files
1501 with the same names as these, but with @file{.elc} and @file{.el}
1502 suffixes. In other words, if you have set @code{gnus-init-file} to
1503 @file{~/.gnus}, it will look for @file{~/.gnus.elc}, @file{~/.gnus.el},
1504 and finally @file{~/.gnus} (in this order). If Emacs was invoked with
1505 the @option{-q} or @option{--no-init-file} options (@pxref{Initial
1506 Options, ,Initial Options, emacs, The Emacs Manual}), Gnus doesn't read
1507 @code{gnus-init-file}.
1512 @cindex dribble file
1515 Whenever you do something that changes the Gnus data (reading articles,
1516 catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a
1517 special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal
1518 Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the
1519 @file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from
1522 If Gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
1523 read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
1526 @vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
1527 If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, Gnus won't create and
1528 maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
1530 @vindex gnus-dribble-directory
1531 Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
1532 this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, Gnus will dribble
1533 into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
1534 normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
1535 file permissions as the @file{.newsrc} file.
1537 @vindex gnus-always-read-dribble-file
1538 If @code{gnus-always-read-dribble-file} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will
1539 read the dribble file on startup without querying the user.
1542 @node The Active File
1543 @section The Active File
1545 @cindex ignored groups
1547 When Gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
1548 articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
1549 file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
1551 @vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
1552 Before examining the active file, Gnus deletes all lines that match the
1553 regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
1554 any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make Gnus
1555 ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
1556 recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
1557 Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
1560 @c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
1561 @c if you set it to anything else.
1563 @vindex gnus-read-active-file
1565 The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
1566 can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent Gnus from
1567 reading the active file. This variable is @code{some} by default.
1569 Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
1570 you actually subscribe to.
1572 Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
1573 variable to @code{nil} will probably make Gnus slower, not faster. At
1574 present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow Gnus down
1575 considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem.
1577 This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
1578 attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
1579 servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
1580 support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
1581 at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
1582 is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
1584 Some news servers (old versions of Leafnode and old versions of INN, for
1585 instance) do not support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group}. For these
1586 servers, @code{nil} is probably the most efficient value for this
1589 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will ask for group info in total
1590 lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
1591 @acronym{NNTP} server, Gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
1592 read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
1593 performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
1594 @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
1596 If you think that starting up Gnus takes too long, try all the three
1597 different values for this variable and see what works best for you.
1599 In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
1600 kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
1602 Note that this variable also affects active file retrieval from
1603 secondary select methods.
1606 @node Startup Variables
1607 @section Startup Variables
1611 @item gnus-load-hook
1612 @vindex gnus-load-hook
1613 A hook run while Gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
1614 normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
1615 times you start Gnus.
1617 @item gnus-before-startup-hook
1618 @vindex gnus-before-startup-hook
1619 A hook run after starting up Gnus successfully.
1621 @item gnus-startup-hook
1622 @vindex gnus-startup-hook
1623 A hook run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1625 @item gnus-started-hook
1626 @vindex gnus-started-hook
1627 A hook that is run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1630 @item gnus-setup-news-hook
1631 @vindex gnus-setup-news-hook
1632 A hook that is run after reading the @file{.newsrc} file(s), but before
1633 generating the group buffer.
1635 @item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1636 @vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1637 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
1638 startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
1639 @file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
1640 bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
1641 best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
1642 in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
1644 @item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1645 @vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1646 If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
1647 your boss might not notice as easily that you are reading news instead
1648 of doing your job. Note that this variable is used before
1649 @file{~/.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @file{.emacs} instead.
1651 @item gnus-no-groups-message
1652 @vindex gnus-no-groups-message
1653 Message displayed by Gnus when no groups are available.
1655 @item gnus-play-startup-jingle
1656 @vindex gnus-play-startup-jingle
1657 If non-@code{nil}, play the Gnus jingle at startup.
1659 @item gnus-startup-jingle
1660 @vindex gnus-startup-jingle
1661 Jingle to be played if the above variable is non-@code{nil}. The
1662 default is @samp{Tuxedomoon.Jingle4.au}.
1668 @chapter Group Buffer
1669 @cindex group buffer
1671 @c Alex Schroeder suggests to rearrange this as follows:
1673 @c <kensanata> ok, just save it for reference. I'll go to bed in a minute.
1674 @c 1. Selecting a Group, 2. (new) Finding a Group, 3. Group Levels,
1675 @c 4. Subscription Commands, 5. Group Maneuvering, 6. Group Data,
1676 @c 7. Group Score, 8. Group Buffer Format
1677 @c <kensanata> Group Levels should have more information on levels 5 to 9. I
1678 @c suggest to split the 4th paragraph ("Gnus considers groups...") as follows:
1679 @c <kensanata> First, "Gnus considers groups... (default 9)."
1680 @c <kensanata> New, a table summarizing what levels 1 to 9 mean.
1681 @c <kensanata> Third, "Gnus treats subscribed ... reasons of efficiency"
1682 @c <kensanata> Then expand the next paragraph or add some more to it.
1683 @c This short one sentence explains levels 1 and 2, therefore I understand
1684 @c that I should keep important news at 3 and boring news at 4.
1685 @c Say so! Then go on to explain why I should bother with levels 6 to 9.
1686 @c Maybe keep those that you don't want to read temporarily at 6,
1687 @c those that you never want to read at 8, those that offend your
1688 @c human rights at 9...
1691 The @dfn{group buffer} lists all (or parts) of the available groups. It
1692 is the first buffer shown when Gnus starts, and will never be killed as
1693 long as Gnus is active.
1697 \gnusfigure{The Group Buffer}{320}{
1698 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group,height=9cm}}
1699 \put(120,37){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Buffer name}}
1700 \put(120,38){\vector(1,2){10}}
1701 \put(40,60){\makebox(0,0)[r]{Mode line}}
1702 \put(40,58){\vector(1,0){30}}
1703 \put(200,28){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Native select method}}
1704 \put(200,26){\vector(-1,2){15}}
1710 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
1711 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
1712 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
1713 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
1714 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
1715 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
1716 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
1717 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
1718 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
1719 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
1720 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
1721 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
1722 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
1723 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
1724 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
1725 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
1726 * Non-ASCII Group Names:: Accessing groups of non-English names.
1727 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
1731 @node Group Buffer Format
1732 @section Group Buffer Format
1735 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
1736 * Group Mode Line Specification:: The group buffer mode line.
1737 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
1740 You can customize the Group Mode tool bar, see @kbd{M-x
1741 customize-apropos RET gnus-group-tool-bar}. This feature is only
1744 The tool bar icons are now (de)activated correctly depending on the
1745 cursor position. Therefore, moving around in the Group Buffer is
1746 slower. You can disable this via the variable
1747 @code{gnus-group-update-tool-bar}. Its default value depends on your
1750 @node Group Line Specification
1751 @subsection Group Line Specification
1752 @cindex group buffer format
1754 The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
1755 make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
1757 Here's a couple of example group lines:
1760 25: news.announce.newusers
1761 * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin
1766 You can see that there are 25 unread articles in
1767 @samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some
1768 ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little
1769 asterisk at the beginning of the line?).
1771 @vindex gnus-group-line-format
1772 You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
1773 @code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
1774 lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
1775 a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
1776 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
1778 @samp{%M%S%5y:%B%(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
1780 There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
1781 the colon after performing an operation. @xref{Positioning
1782 Point}. Nothing else is required---not even the group name. All
1783 displayed text is just window dressing, and is never examined by Gnus.
1784 Gnus stores all real information it needs using text properties.
1786 (Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
1787 layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
1788 instead of wasting time reading news.)
1790 Here's a list of all available format characters:
1795 An asterisk if the group only has marked articles.
1798 Whether the group is subscribed.
1801 Level of subscribedness.
1804 Number of unread articles.
1807 Number of dormant articles.
1810 Number of ticked articles.
1813 Number of read articles.
1816 Number of unseen articles.
1819 Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
1820 minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
1822 Gnus uses this estimation because the @acronym{NNTP} protocol provides
1823 efficient access to @var{max-number} and @var{min-number} but getting
1824 the true unread message count is not possible efficiently. For
1825 hysterical raisins, even the mail back ends, where the true number of
1826 unread messages might be available efficiently, use the same limited
1827 interface. To remove this restriction from Gnus means that the back
1828 end interface has to be changed, which is not an easy job.
1830 The nnml backend (@pxref{Mail Spool}) has a feature called ``group
1831 compaction'' which circumvents this deficiency: the idea is to
1832 renumber all articles from 1, removing all gaps between numbers, hence
1833 getting a correct total count. Other backends may support this in the
1834 future. In order to keep your total article count relatively up to
1835 date, you might want to compact your groups (or even directly your
1836 server) from time to time. @xref{Misc Group Stuff}, @xref{Server Commands}.
1839 Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
1842 Number of ticked and dormant articles.
1851 Group comment (@pxref{Group Parameters}) or group name if there is no
1852 comment element in the group parameters.
1855 Newsgroup description. You need to read the group descriptions
1856 before these will appear, and to do that, you either have to set
1857 @code{gnus-read-active-file} or use the group buffer @kbd{M-d}
1861 @samp{m} if moderated.
1864 @samp{(m)} if moderated.
1870 If the summary buffer for the group is open or not.
1876 A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
1880 Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
1883 @vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
1884 Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
1885 variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
1886 The default is 1---this will mean that group names like
1887 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} will be shortened to @samp{g.e.gnus}.
1890 @vindex gnus-new-mail-mark
1892 @samp{%} (@code{gnus-new-mail-mark}) if there has arrived new mail to
1896 @samp{#} (@code{gnus-process-mark}) if the group is process marked.
1899 A string that says when you last read the group (@pxref{Group
1903 The disk space used by the articles fetched by both the cache and
1904 agent. The value is automatically scaled to bytes(B), kilobytes(K),
1905 megabytes(M), or gigabytes(G) to minimize the column width. A format
1906 of %7F is sufficient for a fixed-width column.
1909 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
1910 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
1911 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
1912 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed a single dummy
1913 parameter as argument. The function should return a string, which will
1914 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
1919 All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
1920 if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
1921 group, or a bogus native group.
1924 @node Group Mode Line Specification
1925 @subsection Group Mode Line Specification
1926 @cindex group mode line
1928 @vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
1929 The mode line can be changed by setting
1930 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
1931 doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
1935 The native news server.
1937 The native select method.
1941 @node Group Highlighting
1942 @subsection Group Highlighting
1943 @cindex highlighting
1944 @cindex group highlighting
1946 @vindex gnus-group-highlight
1947 Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
1948 @code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
1949 that look like @code{(@var{form} . @var{face})}. If @var{form} evaluates to
1950 something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
1952 Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
1956 (cond (window-system
1957 (setq custom-background-mode 'light)
1958 (defface my-group-face-1
1959 '((t (:foreground "Red" :bold t))) "First group face")
1960 (defface my-group-face-2
1961 '((t (:foreground "DarkSeaGreen4" :bold t)))
1962 "Second group face")
1963 (defface my-group-face-3
1964 '((t (:foreground "Green4" :bold t))) "Third group face")
1965 (defface my-group-face-4
1966 '((t (:foreground "SteelBlue" :bold t))) "Fourth group face")
1967 (defface my-group-face-5
1968 '((t (:foreground "Blue" :bold t))) "Fifth group face")))
1970 (setq gnus-group-highlight
1971 '(((> unread 200) . my-group-face-1)
1972 ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) . my-group-face-2)
1973 ((< level 3) . my-group-face-3)
1974 ((zerop unread) . my-group-face-4)
1975 (t . my-group-face-5)))
1978 Also @pxref{Faces and Fonts}.
1980 Variables that are dynamically bound when the forms are evaluated
1987 The number of unread articles in the group.
1991 Whether the group is a mail group.
1993 The level of the group.
1995 The score of the group.
1997 The number of ticked articles in the group.
1999 The total number of articles in the group. Or rather,
2000 @var{max-number} minus @var{min-number} plus one.
2002 When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
2003 topic being inserted.
2006 When the forms are @code{eval}ed, point is at the beginning of the line
2007 of the group in question, so you can use many of the normal Gnus
2008 functions for snarfing info on the group.
2010 @vindex gnus-group-update-hook
2011 @findex gnus-group-highlight-line
2012 @code{gnus-group-update-hook} is called when a group line is changed.
2013 It will not be called when @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}. This hook
2014 calls @code{gnus-group-highlight-line} by default.
2017 @node Group Maneuvering
2018 @section Group Maneuvering
2019 @cindex group movement
2021 All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as
2022 expected, hopefully.
2028 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
2029 Go to the next group that has unread articles
2030 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
2036 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
2037 Go to the previous group that has unread articles
2038 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
2042 @findex gnus-group-next-group
2043 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
2047 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
2048 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
2052 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
2053 Go to the next unread group on the same (or lower) level
2054 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
2058 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
2059 Go to the previous unread group on the same (or lower) level
2060 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}).
2063 Three commands for jumping to groups:
2069 @findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
2070 Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
2071 (@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
2076 @findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
2077 Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
2078 (@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
2082 @findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
2083 Jump to the first group with unread articles
2084 (@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}).
2087 @vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
2088 If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
2089 commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
2090 the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
2093 @vindex gnus-summary-next-group-on-exit
2094 If @code{gnus-summary-next-group-on-exit} is @code{t}, when a summary is
2095 exited, the point in the group buffer is moved to the next unread group.
2096 Otherwise, the point is set to the group just exited. The default is
2099 @node Selecting a Group
2100 @section Selecting a Group
2101 @cindex group selection
2106 @kindex SPACE (Group)
2107 @findex gnus-group-read-group
2108 Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the
2109 first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
2110 unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
2111 this command, Gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
2112 group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{n}, @var{n}
2113 determines the number of articles Gnus will fetch. If @var{n} is
2114 positive, Gnus fetches the @var{n} newest articles, if @var{n} is
2115 negative, Gnus fetches the @code{abs(@var{n})} oldest articles.
2117 Thus, @kbd{SPC} enters the group normally, @kbd{C-u SPC} offers old
2118 articles, @kbd{C-u 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 newest articles, and @kbd{C-u
2119 - 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 oldest ones.
2121 When you are in the group (in the Summary buffer), you can type
2122 @kbd{M-g} to fetch new articles, or @kbd{C-u M-g} to also show the old
2127 @findex gnus-group-select-group
2128 Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
2129 (@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
2130 @code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
2131 does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
2135 @kindex M-RET (Group)
2136 @findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
2137 This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
2138 minimum amount of fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
2139 scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
2140 expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
2141 enter some humongous group. If you give a 0 prefix to this command
2142 (i.e., @kbd{0 M-RET}), Gnus won't even generate the summary buffer,
2143 which is useful if you want to toggle threading before generating the
2144 summary buffer (@pxref{Summary Generation Commands}).
2147 @kindex M-SPACE (Group)
2148 @findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
2149 This is yet one more command that does the same as the @kbd{RET}
2150 command, but this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
2151 (@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
2154 @kindex C-M-RET (Group)
2155 @findex gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally
2156 Finally, this command selects the current group ephemerally without
2157 doing any processing of its contents
2158 (@code{gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally}). Even threading has been
2159 turned off. Everything you do in the group after selecting it in this
2160 manner will have no permanent effects.
2164 @vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
2165 The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what Gnus should
2166 consider to be a big group. If it is @code{nil}, no groups are
2167 considered big. The default value is 200. If the group has more
2168 (unread and/or ticked) articles than this, Gnus will query the user
2169 before entering the group. The user can then specify how many
2170 articles should be fetched from the server. If the user specifies a
2171 negative number (@var{-n}), the @var{n} oldest articles will be
2172 fetched. If it is positive, the @var{n} articles that have arrived
2173 most recently will be fetched.
2175 @vindex gnus-large-ephemeral-newsgroup
2176 @code{gnus-large-ephemeral-newsgroup} is the same as
2177 @code{gnus-large-newsgroup}, but is only used for ephemeral
2180 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-maximum-articles
2181 In groups in some news servers, there might be a big gap between a few
2182 very old articles that will never be expired and the recent ones. In
2183 such a case, the server will return the data like @code{(1 . 30000000)}
2184 for the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, for example. Even if there
2185 are actually only the articles 1-10 and 29999900-30000000, Gnus doesn't
2186 know it at first and prepares for getting 30000000 articles. However,
2187 it will consume hundreds megabytes of memories and might make Emacs get
2188 stuck as the case may be. If you use such news servers, set the
2189 variable @code{gnus-newsgroup-maximum-articles} to a positive number.
2190 The value means that Gnus ignores articles other than this number of the
2191 latest ones in every group. For instance, the value 10000 makes Gnus
2192 get only the articles 29990001-30000000 (if the latest article number is
2193 30000000 in a group). Note that setting this variable to a number might
2194 prevent you from reading very old articles. The default value of the
2195 variable @code{gnus-newsgroup-maximum-articles} is @code{nil}, which
2196 means Gnus never ignores old articles.
2198 @vindex gnus-select-group-hook
2199 @vindex gnus-auto-select-first
2200 @vindex gnus-auto-select-subject
2201 If @code{gnus-auto-select-first} is non-@code{nil}, select an article
2202 automatically when entering a group with the @kbd{SPACE} command.
2203 Which article this is is controlled by the
2204 @code{gnus-auto-select-subject} variable. Valid values for this
2210 Place point on the subject line of the first unread article.
2213 Place point on the subject line of the first article.
2216 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article.
2218 @item unseen-or-unread
2219 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article, and if
2220 there is no such article, place point on the subject line of the first
2224 Place point on the subject line of the highest-scored unread article.
2228 This variable can also be a function. In that case, that function
2229 will be called to place point on a subject line.
2231 If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
2232 binary group with Huge articles) you can set the
2233 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} variable to @code{nil} in
2234 @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
2238 @node Subscription Commands
2239 @section Subscription Commands
2240 @cindex subscription
2248 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
2249 @c @icon{gnus-group-unsubscribe}
2250 Toggle subscription to the current group
2251 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
2257 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
2258 Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
2259 subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
2260 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
2266 @findex gnus-group-kill-group
2267 @c @icon{gnus-group-kill-group}
2268 Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
2274 @findex gnus-group-yank-group
2275 Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
2278 @kindex C-x C-t (Group)
2279 @findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
2280 Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
2281 really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
2282 kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
2288 @findex gnus-group-kill-region
2289 Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
2293 @findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
2294 Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
2297 @kindex S C-k (Group)
2298 @findex gnus-group-kill-level
2299 Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
2300 These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
2301 be used with some caution. The only time where this command comes in
2302 really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
2303 groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level 7 will
2304 kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
2305 @file{.newsrc} file.
2309 Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
2319 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current
2320 @vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
2321 @c @icon{gnus-group-catchup-current}
2322 Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
2323 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
2324 @code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is called when catching up a group from
2329 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
2330 Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
2331 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
2335 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
2336 Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
2337 read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
2339 @item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2340 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2341 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2342 If you have switched from one @acronym{NNTP} server to another, all your marks
2343 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
2344 clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
2351 @section Group Levels
2355 All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
2356 group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
2357 can ask Gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
2358 (@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
2359 a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
2361 Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
2367 @findex gnus-group-set-current-level
2368 Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
2369 next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
2370 prompted for a level.
2373 @vindex gnus-level-killed
2374 @vindex gnus-level-zombie
2375 @vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
2376 @vindex gnus-level-subscribed
2377 Gnus considers groups from levels 1 to
2378 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
2379 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
2380 @code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
2381 unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
2382 (default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (completely dead)
2383 (default 9). Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly the
2384 same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what articles
2385 you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and living
2386 groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely for
2387 reasons of efficiency.
2389 It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
2390 low levels (e.g. 1 or 2).
2392 Maybe the following description of the default behavior of Gnus helps to
2393 understand what these levels are all about. By default, Gnus shows you
2394 subscribed nonempty groups, but by hitting @kbd{L} you can have it show
2395 empty subscribed groups and unsubscribed groups, too. Type @kbd{l} to
2396 go back to showing nonempty subscribed groups again. Thus, unsubscribed
2397 groups are hidden, in a way.
2399 Zombie and killed groups are similar to unsubscribed groups in that they
2400 are hidden by default. But they are different from subscribed and
2401 unsubscribed groups in that Gnus doesn't ask the news server for
2402 information (number of messages, number of unread messages) on zombie
2403 and killed groups. Normally, you use @kbd{C-k} to kill the groups you
2404 aren't interested in. If most groups are killed, Gnus is faster.
2406 Why does Gnus distinguish between zombie and killed groups? Well, when
2407 a new group arrives on the server, Gnus by default makes it a zombie
2408 group. This means that you are normally not bothered with new groups,
2409 but you can type @kbd{A z} to get a list of all new groups. Subscribe
2410 the ones you like and kill the ones you don't want. (@kbd{A k} shows a
2411 list of killed groups.)
2413 If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
2414 Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
2415 them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
2417 @vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
2418 @vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
2419 Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
2420 (default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
2421 which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
2422 (un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
2423 relevant valid ranges.
2425 @vindex gnus-keep-same-level
2426 If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
2427 will only move to groups of the same level (or lower). In
2428 particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
2429 will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
2430 handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
2433 If this variable is @code{best}, Gnus will make the next newsgroup the
2434 one with the best level.
2436 @vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
2437 All groups with a level less than or equal to
2438 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
2441 @vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
2442 If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
2443 groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
2444 @code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
2447 @vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
2448 If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
2449 give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
2450 use this level as the ``work'' level.
2452 @vindex gnus-activate-level
2453 Gnus will normally just activate (i. e., query the server about) groups
2454 on level @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to
2455 activate unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable
2456 to 5. The default is 6.
2460 @section Group Score
2465 You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
2466 is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
2467 group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
2470 This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can have Gnus assign a score
2471 to each group through the mechanism described below. You can then sort
2472 the group buffer based on this score. Alternatively, you can sort on
2473 score and then level. (Taken together, the level and the score is
2474 called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group that is on level 4 and has
2475 a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group on level 5 that has a score
2476 of 300. (The level is the most significant part and the score is the
2477 least significant part.))
2479 @findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
2480 If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
2481 read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
2482 the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
2483 sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
2484 action after each summary exit, you can add
2485 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
2486 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
2487 slow things down somewhat.
2490 @node Marking Groups
2491 @section Marking Groups
2492 @cindex marking groups
2494 If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
2495 subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
2496 numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
2497 bidding on those groups.
2499 However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
2500 perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
2501 with the process mark and then execute the command.
2509 @findex gnus-group-mark-group
2510 Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
2516 @findex gnus-group-unmark-group
2517 Remove the mark from the current group
2518 (@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
2522 @findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
2523 Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
2527 @findex gnus-group-mark-region
2528 Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
2532 @findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
2533 Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
2537 @findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
2538 Mark all groups that match some regular expression
2539 (@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
2542 Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
2544 @findex gnus-group-universal-argument
2545 If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
2546 with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
2547 (@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
2548 the command to be executed.
2551 @node Foreign Groups
2552 @section Foreign Groups
2553 @cindex foreign groups
2555 Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
2556 groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
2557 special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
2558 groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
2561 Changes from the group editing commands are stored in
2562 @file{~/.newsrc.eld} (@code{gnus-startup-file}). An alternative is the
2563 variable @code{gnus-parameters}, @xref{Group Parameters}.
2569 @findex gnus-group-make-group
2570 @cindex making groups
2571 Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
2572 for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
2573 to subscribe to @acronym{NNTP} groups (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
2577 @findex gnus-group-read-ephemeral-group
2578 Make an ephemeral group (@code{gnus-group-read-ephemeral-group}). Gnus
2579 will prompt you for a name, a method and an @dfn{address}.
2583 @findex gnus-group-rename-group
2584 @cindex renaming groups
2585 Rename the current group to something else
2586 (@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is valid only on some
2587 groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
2593 @findex gnus-group-customize
2594 Customize the group parameters (@code{gnus-group-customize}).
2598 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
2599 @cindex renaming groups
2600 Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
2601 group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
2605 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
2606 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
2607 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
2611 @findex gnus-group-edit-group
2612 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
2613 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
2617 @findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
2619 Make a directory group (@pxref{Directory Groups}). You will be prompted
2620 for a directory name (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
2625 @findex gnus-group-make-help-group
2626 Make the Gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
2630 @cindex (ding) archive
2631 @cindex archive group
2632 @findex gnus-group-make-archive-group
2633 @vindex gnus-group-archive-directory
2634 @vindex gnus-group-recent-archive-directory
2635 Make a Gnus archive group (@code{gnus-group-make-archive-group}). By
2636 default a group pointing to the most recent articles will be created
2637 (@code{gnus-group-recent-archive-directory}), but given a prefix, a full
2638 group will be created from @code{gnus-group-archive-directory}.
2642 @findex gnus-group-make-kiboze-group
2644 Make a kiboze group. You will be prompted for a name, for a regexp to
2645 match groups to be ``included'' in the kiboze group, and a series of
2646 strings to match on headers (@code{gnus-group-make-kiboze-group}).
2647 @xref{Kibozed Groups}.
2651 @findex gnus-group-enter-directory
2653 Read an arbitrary directory as if it were a newsgroup with the
2654 @code{nneething} back end (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
2655 @xref{Anything Groups}.
2659 @findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
2660 @cindex ClariNet Briefs
2662 Make a group based on some file or other
2663 (@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2664 command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
2665 Currently supported types are @code{mbox}, @code{babyl},
2666 @code{digest}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward},
2667 @code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts},
2668 @code{standard-digest}, @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs},
2669 @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook}, @code{oe-dbx}, and @code{mailman}. If
2670 you run this command without a prefix, Gnus will guess at the file
2671 type. @xref{Document Groups}.
2675 @vindex gnus-useful-groups
2676 @findex gnus-group-make-useful-group
2677 Create one of the groups mentioned in @code{gnus-useful-groups}
2678 (@code{gnus-group-make-useful-group}).
2682 @findex gnus-group-make-web-group
2686 Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
2687 (@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2688 command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
2689 search engine type and the search string. Valid search engine types
2690 include @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}.
2691 @xref{Web Searches}.
2693 If you use the @code{google} search engine, you can limit the search
2694 to a particular group by using a match string like
2695 @samp{shaving group:alt.sysadmin.recovery}.
2699 @findex gnus-group-make-rss-group
2700 Make a group based on an @acronym{RSS} feed
2701 (@code{gnus-group-make-rss-group}). You will be prompted for an URL.
2705 @kindex G DEL (Group)
2706 @findex gnus-group-delete-group
2707 This function will delete the current group
2708 (@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
2709 actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
2710 group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
2711 absolutely sure of what you are doing. This command can't be used on
2712 read-only groups (like @code{nntp} groups), though.
2716 @findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
2717 Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
2718 (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}). @xref{Virtual Groups}.
2722 @findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
2723 Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
2724 (@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
2727 @xref{Select Methods}, for more information on the various select
2730 @vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
2731 If @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
2732 Gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
2733 This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
2734 groups from different @acronym{NNTP} servers. Also @pxref{Group Levels};
2735 @code{gnus-activate-level} also affects activation of foreign
2739 @node Group Parameters
2740 @section Group Parameters
2741 @cindex group parameters
2743 The group parameters store information local to a particular group.
2744 Here's an example group parameter list:
2747 ((to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")
2751 We see that each element consists of a ``dotted pair''---the thing before
2752 the dot is the key, while the thing after the dot is the value. All the
2753 parameters have this form @emph{except} local variable specs, which are
2754 not dotted pairs, but proper lists.
2756 Some parameters have correspondent customizable variables, each of which
2757 is an alist of regexps and values.
2759 The following group parameters can be used:
2764 Address used by when doing followups and new posts.
2767 (to-address . "some@@where.com")
2770 This is primarily useful in mail groups that represent closed mailing
2771 lists---mailing lists where it's expected that everybody that writes to
2772 the mailing list is subscribed to it. Since using this parameter
2773 ensures that the mail only goes to the mailing list itself, it means
2774 that members won't receive two copies of your followups.
2776 Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
2777 or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
2778 @samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
2779 the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
2780 group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
2781 list address instead.
2783 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-address-alist}.
2787 Address used when doing @kbd{a} in that group.
2790 (to-list . "some@@where.com")
2793 It is totally ignored
2794 when doing a followup---except that if it is present in a news group,
2795 you'll get mail group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
2797 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you have neither a
2798 @code{to-list} group parameter nor a @code{to-address} group parameter,
2799 then a @code{to-list} group parameter will be added automatically upon
2800 sending the message if @code{gnus-add-to-list} is set to @code{t}.
2801 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
2803 @findex gnus-mailing-list-mode
2804 @cindex mail list groups
2805 If this variable is set, @code{gnus-mailing-list-mode} is turned on when
2806 entering summary buffer.
2808 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-list-alist}.
2813 @cindex Mail-Followup-To
2814 @findex gnus-find-subscribed-addresses
2815 If this parameter is set to @code{t}, Gnus will consider the
2816 to-address and to-list parameters for this group as addresses of
2817 mailing lists you are subscribed to. Giving Gnus this information is
2818 (only) a first step in getting it to generate correct Mail-Followup-To
2819 headers for your posts to these lists. The second step is to put the
2820 following in your @file{.gnus.el}
2823 (setq message-subscribed-address-functions
2824 '(gnus-find-subscribed-addresses))
2827 @xref{Mailing Lists, ,Mailing Lists, message, The Message Manual}, for
2828 a complete treatment of available MFT support.
2832 If the group parameter list has the element @code{(visible . t)},
2833 that group will always be visible in the Group buffer, regardless
2834 of whether it has any unread articles.
2836 This parameter cannot be set via @code{gnus-parameters}. See
2837 @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} as an alternative.
2839 @item broken-reply-to
2840 @cindex broken-reply-to
2841 Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
2842 headers in this group are to be ignored, and for the header to be hidden
2843 if @code{reply-to} is part of @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}. This
2844 can be useful if you're reading a mailing list group where the listserv
2845 has inserted @code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv
2846 itself. That is broken behavior. So there!
2850 Elements like @code{(to-group . "some.group.name")} means that all
2851 posts in that group will be sent to @code{some.group.name}.
2855 If you have @code{(newsgroup . t)} in the group parameter list, Gnus
2856 will treat all responses as if they were responses to news articles.
2857 This can be useful if you have a mail group that's really a mirror of a
2862 If @code{(gcc-self . t)} is present in the group parameter list, newly
2863 composed messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current group. If
2864 @code{(gcc-self . none)} is present, no @code{Gcc:} header will be
2865 generated, if @code{(gcc-self . "string")} is present, this string will
2866 be inserted literally as a @code{gcc} header. This parameter takes
2867 precedence over any default @code{Gcc} rules as described later
2868 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
2870 @strong{Caveat}: Adding @code{(gcc-self . t)} to the parameter list of
2871 @code{nntp} groups (or the like) isn't valid. An @code{nntp} server
2872 doesn't accept articles.
2876 @cindex expiring mail
2877 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(auto-expire
2878 . t)}, all articles read will be marked as expirable. For an
2879 alternative approach, @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
2881 See also @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups}.
2884 @cindex total-expire
2885 @cindex expiring mail
2886 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2887 @code{(total-expire . t)}, all read articles will be put through the
2888 expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
2889 caution. Unread, ticked and dormant articles are not eligible for
2892 See also @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups}.
2896 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
2897 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2898 @code{(expiry-wait . 10)}, this value will override any
2899 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function}
2900 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}) when expiring expirable messages. The value
2901 can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or the
2902 symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
2905 @cindex expiry-target
2906 Where expired messages end up. This parameter overrides
2907 @code{nnmail-expiry-target}.
2910 @cindex score file group parameter
2911 Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
2912 @file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. All
2913 interactive score entries will be put into this file.
2916 @cindex adapt file group parameter
2917 Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
2918 @file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
2919 All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
2922 @cindex admin-address
2923 When unsubscribing from a mailing list you should never send the
2924 unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
2925 messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
2926 put the admin address somewhere convenient.
2930 Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} say which articles to
2931 display on entering the group. Valid values are:
2935 Display all articles, both read and unread.
2938 Display the last @var{integer} articles in the group. This is the same as
2939 entering the group with @kbd{C-u @var{integer}}.
2942 Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
2946 Display articles that satisfy a predicate.
2948 Here are some examples:
2952 Display only unread articles.
2955 Display everything except expirable articles.
2957 @item [and (not reply) (not expire)]
2958 Display everything except expirable and articles you've already
2962 The available operators are @code{not}, @code{and} and @code{or}.
2963 Predicates include @code{tick}, @code{unsend}, @code{undownload},
2964 @code{unread}, @code{dormant}, @code{expire}, @code{reply},
2965 @code{killed}, @code{bookmark}, @code{score}, @code{save},
2966 @code{cache}, @code{forward}, @code{unseen} and @code{recent}.
2970 The @code{display} parameter works by limiting the summary buffer to
2971 the subset specified. You can pop the limit by using the @kbd{/ w}
2972 command (@pxref{Limiting}).
2976 Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")} are
2977 arbitrary comments on the group. You can display comments in the
2978 group line (@pxref{Group Line Specification}).
2982 Elements that look like @code{(charset . iso-8859-1)} will make
2983 @code{iso-8859-1} the default charset; that is, the charset that will be
2984 used for all articles that do not specify a charset.
2986 See also @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}.
2988 @item ignored-charsets
2989 @cindex ignored-charset
2990 Elements that look like @code{(ignored-charsets x-unknown iso-8859-1)}
2991 will make @code{iso-8859-1} and @code{x-unknown} ignored; that is, the
2992 default charset will be used for decoding articles.
2994 See also @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
2997 @cindex posting-style
2998 You can store additional posting style information for this group
2999 here (@pxref{Posting Styles}). The format is that of an entry in the
3000 @code{gnus-posting-styles} alist, except that there's no regexp matching
3001 the group name (of course). Style elements in this group parameter will
3002 take precedence over the ones found in @code{gnus-posting-styles}.
3004 For instance, if you want a funky name and signature in this group only,
3005 instead of hacking @code{gnus-posting-styles}, you could put something
3006 like this in the group parameters:
3011 ("X-My-Header" "Funky Value")
3012 (signature "Funky Signature"))
3015 If you're using topics to organize your group buffer
3016 (@pxref{Group Topics}), note that posting styles can also be set in
3017 the topics parameters. Posting styles in topic parameters apply to all
3018 groups in this topic. More precisely, the posting-style settings for a
3019 group result from the hierarchical merging of all posting-style
3020 entries in the parameters of this group and all the topics it belongs
3026 If it is set, the value is used as the method for posting message
3027 instead of @code{gnus-post-method}.
3031 An item like @code{(banner . @var{regexp})} causes any part of an article
3032 that matches the regular expression @var{regexp} to be stripped. Instead of
3033 @var{regexp}, you can also use the symbol @code{signature} which strips the
3034 last signature or any of the elements of the alist
3035 @code{gnus-article-banner-alist}.
3039 This parameter contains a Sieve test that should match incoming mail
3040 that should be placed in this group. From this group parameter, a
3041 Sieve @samp{IF} control structure is generated, having the test as the
3042 condition and @samp{fileinto "group.name";} as the body.
3044 For example, if the @samp{INBOX.list.sieve} group has the @code{(sieve
3045 address "sender" "sieve-admin@@extundo.com")} group parameter, when
3046 translating the group parameter into a Sieve script (@pxref{Sieve
3047 Commands}) the following Sieve code is generated:
3050 if address "sender" "sieve-admin@@extundo.com" @{
3051 fileinto "INBOX.list.sieve";
3055 To generate tests for multiple email-addresses use a group parameter
3056 like @code{(sieve address "sender" ("name@@one.org" else@@two.org"))}.
3057 When generating a sieve script (@pxref{Sieve Commands}) Sieve code
3058 like the following is generated:
3061 if address "sender" ["name@@one.org", "else@@two.org"] @{
3062 fileinto "INBOX.list.sieve";
3066 See @pxref{Sieve Commands} for commands and variables that might be of
3067 interest in relation to the sieve parameter.
3069 The Sieve language is described in RFC 3028. @xref{Top, Emacs Sieve,
3070 Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
3072 @item (agent parameters)
3073 If the agent has been enabled, you can set any of the its parameters
3074 to control the behavior of the agent in individual groups. See Agent
3075 Parameters in @ref{Category Syntax}. Most users will choose to set
3076 agent parameters in either an agent category or group topic to
3077 minimize the configuration effort.
3079 @item (@var{variable} @var{form})
3080 You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
3081 are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers},
3082 you could put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in the group parameters of
3083 that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be made into a local variable
3084 in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
3085 @code{eval}ed there.
3087 Note that this feature sets the variable locally to the summary buffer.
3088 But some variables are evaluated in the article buffer, or in the
3089 message buffer (of a reply or followup or otherwise newly created
3090 message). As a workaround, it might help to add the variable in
3091 question to @code{gnus-newsgroup-variables}. @xref{Various Summary
3092 Stuff}. So if you want to set @code{message-from-style} via the group
3093 parameters, then you may need the following statement elsewhere in your
3094 @file{~/.gnus} file:
3097 (add-to-list 'gnus-newsgroup-variables 'message-from-style)
3100 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
3101 A use for this feature is to remove a mailing list identifier tag in
3102 the subject fields of articles. E.g. if the news group
3105 nntp+news.gnus.org:gmane.text.docbook.apps
3108 has the tag @samp{DOC-BOOK-APPS:} in the subject of all articles, this
3109 tag can be removed from the article subjects in the summary buffer for
3110 the group by putting @code{(gnus-list-identifiers "DOCBOOK-APPS:")}
3111 into the group parameters for the group.
3113 This can also be used as a group-specific hook function. If you want to
3114 hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put something like
3115 @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that group.
3116 @code{dummy-variable} will be set to the (meaningless) result of the
3119 Alternatively, since the VARIABLE becomes local to the group, this
3120 pattern can be used to temporarily change a hook. For example, if the
3121 following is added to a group parameter
3124 (gnus-summary-prepared-hook
3125 '(lambda nil (local-set-key "d" (local-key-binding "n"))))
3128 when the group is entered, the 'd' key will not mark the article as
3133 Use the @kbd{G p} or the @kbd{G c} command to edit group parameters of a
3134 group. (@kbd{G p} presents you with a Lisp-based interface, @kbd{G c}
3135 presents you with a Customize-like interface. The latter helps avoid
3136 silly Lisp errors.) You might also be interested in reading about topic
3137 parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}).
3139 @vindex gnus-parameters
3140 Group parameters can be set via the @code{gnus-parameters} variable too.
3141 But some variables, such as @code{visible}, have no effect (For this
3142 case see @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} as an alternative.).
3146 (setq gnus-parameters
3148 (gnus-show-threads nil)
3149 (gnus-use-scoring nil)
3150 (gnus-summary-line-format
3151 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%d:%ub%-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
3155 ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
3159 (gnus-use-scoring t))
3163 (broken-reply-to . t))))
3166 String value of parameters will be subjected to regexp substitution, as
3167 the @code{to-group} example shows.
3169 @vindex gnus-parameters-case-fold-search
3170 By default, whether comparing the group name and one of those regexps
3171 specified in @code{gnus-parameters} is done in a case-sensitive manner
3172 or a case-insensitive manner depends on the value of
3173 @code{case-fold-search} at the time when the comparison is done. The
3174 value of @code{case-fold-search} is typically @code{t}; it means, for
3175 example, the element @code{("INBOX\\.FOO" (total-expire . t))} might be
3176 applied to both the @samp{INBOX.FOO} group and the @samp{INBOX.foo}
3177 group. If you want to make those regexps always case-sensitive, set the
3178 value of the @code{gnus-parameters-case-fold-search} variable to
3179 @code{nil}. Otherwise, set it to @code{t} if you want to compare them
3180 always in a case-insensitive manner.
3182 You can define different sorting to different groups via
3183 @code{gnus-parameters}. Here is an example to sort an @acronym{NNTP}
3184 group by reverse date to see the latest news at the top and an
3185 @acronym{RSS} group by subject. In this example, the first group is the
3186 Debian daily news group @code{gmane.linux.debian.user.news} from
3187 news.gmane.org. The @acronym{RSS} group corresponds to the Debian
3188 weekly news RSS feed
3189 @url{http://packages.debian.org/unstable/newpkg_main.en.rdf},
3195 '(("nntp.*gmane\\.debian\\.user\\.news"
3196 (gnus-show-threads nil)
3197 (gnus-article-sort-functions '((not gnus-article-sort-by-date)))
3198 (gnus-use-adaptive-scoring nil)
3199 (gnus-use-scoring nil))
3201 (gnus-show-threads nil)
3202 (gnus-article-sort-functions 'gnus-article-sort-by-subject)
3203 (gnus-use-adaptive-scoring nil)
3204 (gnus-use-scoring t)
3205 (gnus-score-find-score-files-function 'gnus-score-find-single)
3206 (gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z%d %I%(%[ %s %]%)\n"))))
3210 @node Listing Groups
3211 @section Listing Groups
3212 @cindex group listing
3214 These commands all list various slices of the groups available.
3222 @findex gnus-group-list-groups
3223 List all groups that have unread articles
3224 (@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
3225 command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
3226 only lists groups of level five (i.e.,
3227 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level}) or lower (i.e., just subscribed
3234 @findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
3235 List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
3236 (@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
3237 this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
3238 it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
3239 unsubscribed groups).
3243 @findex gnus-group-list-level
3244 List all unread groups on a specific level
3245 (@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
3246 with no unread articles.
3250 @findex gnus-group-list-killed
3251 List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
3252 prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
3253 currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
3258 @findex gnus-group-list-zombies
3259 List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
3263 @findex gnus-group-list-matching
3264 List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
3265 (@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
3269 @findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
3270 List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
3274 @findex gnus-group-list-active
3275 List absolutely all groups in the active file(s) of the
3276 server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
3277 might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
3278 to do a @kbd{A M} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
3279 thing to match on. Also note that this command may list groups that
3280 don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they were killed groups.
3281 Take the output with some grains of salt.
3285 @findex gnus-group-apropos
3286 List all groups that have names that match a regexp
3287 (@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
3291 @findex gnus-group-description-apropos
3292 List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
3293 (@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
3297 @findex gnus-group-list-cached
3298 List all groups with cached articles (@code{gnus-group-list-cached}).
3302 @findex gnus-group-list-dormant
3303 List all groups with dormant articles (@code{gnus-group-list-dormant}).
3307 @findex gnus-group-list-limit
3308 List groups limited within the current selection
3309 (@code{gnus-group-list-limit}).
3313 @findex gnus-group-list-flush
3314 Flush groups from the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-flush}).
3318 @findex gnus-group-list-plus
3319 List groups plus the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-plus}).
3323 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3324 @cindex visible group parameter
3325 Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
3326 always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
3327 add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
3328 get the same effect.
3330 @vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
3331 Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
3332 group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
3333 @code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
3334 groups. It is @code{t} by default.
3337 @node Sorting Groups
3338 @section Sorting Groups
3339 @cindex sorting groups
3341 @kindex C-c C-s (Group)
3342 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups
3343 @vindex gnus-group-sort-function
3344 The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
3345 group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
3346 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
3351 @item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3352 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3353 Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
3355 @item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3356 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3357 Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names.
3359 @item gnus-group-sort-by-level
3360 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
3361 Sort by group level.
3363 @item gnus-group-sort-by-score
3364 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
3365 Sort by group score. @xref{Group Score}.
3367 @item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3368 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3369 Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
3370 are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}. @xref{Group Score}.
3372 @item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3373 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3374 Sort by number of unread articles.
3376 @item gnus-group-sort-by-method
3377 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
3378 Sort alphabetically on the select method.
3380 @item gnus-group-sort-by-server
3381 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-server
3382 Sort alphabetically on the Gnus server name.
3387 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
3388 functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
3392 There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
3393 some sorting criteria:
3397 @kindex G S a (Group)
3398 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3399 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
3400 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3403 @kindex G S u (Group)
3404 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
3405 Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
3406 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3409 @kindex G S l (Group)
3410 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
3411 Sort the group buffer by group level
3412 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
3415 @kindex G S v (Group)
3416 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
3417 Sort the group buffer by group score
3418 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3421 @kindex G S r (Group)
3422 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
3423 Sort the group buffer by group rank
3424 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3427 @kindex G S m (Group)
3428 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
3429 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by back end name@*
3430 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
3433 @kindex G S n (Group)
3434 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name
3435 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
3436 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name}).
3440 All the commands below obey the process/prefix convention
3441 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3443 When given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), all these
3444 commands will sort in reverse order.
3446 You can also sort a subset of the groups:
3450 @kindex G P a (Group)
3451 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet
3452 Sort the groups alphabetically by group name
3453 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet}).
3456 @kindex G P u (Group)
3457 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread
3458 Sort the groups by the number of unread articles
3459 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread}).
3462 @kindex G P l (Group)
3463 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level
3464 Sort the groups by group level
3465 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level}).
3468 @kindex G P v (Group)
3469 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score
3470 Sort the groups by group score
3471 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3474 @kindex G P r (Group)
3475 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank
3476 Sort the groups by group rank
3477 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3480 @kindex G P m (Group)
3481 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
3482 Sort the groups alphabetically by back end name@*
3483 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
3486 @kindex G P n (Group)
3487 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name
3488 Sort the groups alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
3489 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name}).
3492 @kindex G P s (Group)
3493 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups
3494 Sort the groups according to @code{gnus-group-sort-function}.
3498 And finally, note that you can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} to manually
3502 @node Group Maintenance
3503 @section Group Maintenance
3504 @cindex bogus groups
3509 @findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
3510 Find bogus groups and delete them
3511 (@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
3515 @findex gnus-group-find-new-groups
3516 Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-group-find-new-groups}).
3517 With 1 @kbd{C-u}, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server
3518 for new groups. With 2 @kbd{C-u}'s, use most complete method possible
3519 to query the server for new groups, and subscribe the new groups as
3523 @kindex C-c C-x (Group)
3524 @findex gnus-group-expire-articles
3525 @cindex expiring mail
3526 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
3527 process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}). That is, delete
3528 all expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
3529 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3532 @kindex C-c C-M-x (Group)
3533 @findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
3534 @cindex expiring mail
3535 Run all expirable articles in all groups through the expiry process
3536 (@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
3541 @node Browse Foreign Server
3542 @section Browse Foreign Server
3543 @cindex foreign servers
3544 @cindex browsing servers
3549 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
3550 You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
3551 then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
3552 (@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
3555 @findex gnus-browse-mode
3556 A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
3557 will use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit (well,
3558 a lot) like a normal group buffer.
3560 Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
3565 @findex gnus-group-next-group
3566 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
3570 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
3571 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
3574 @kindex SPACE (Browse)
3575 @findex gnus-browse-read-group
3576 Enter the current group and display the first article
3577 (@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
3580 @kindex RET (Browse)
3581 @findex gnus-browse-select-group
3582 Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
3586 @findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
3587 Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
3588 subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}).
3594 @findex gnus-browse-exit
3595 Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
3599 @findex gnus-browse-describe-group
3600 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-browse-describe-group}).
3604 @findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
3605 Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
3606 there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
3611 @section Exiting Gnus
3612 @cindex exiting Gnus
3614 Yes, Gnus is ex(c)iting.
3619 @findex gnus-group-suspend
3620 Suspend Gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit Gnus,
3621 but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
3622 is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
3626 @findex gnus-group-exit
3627 @c @icon{gnus-group-exit}
3628 Quit Gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
3632 @findex gnus-group-quit
3633 Quit Gnus without saving the @file{.newsrc} files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
3634 The dribble file will be saved, though (@pxref{Auto Save}).
3637 @vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
3638 @vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
3639 @vindex gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook
3640 @code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend Gnus and
3641 @code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit Gnus, while
3642 @code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
3648 Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, felt her feet go
3649 numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
3650 behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
3656 @section Group Topics
3659 If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
3660 them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
3661 here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
3662 you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
3663 even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
3664 groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
3668 \gnusfigure{Group Topics}{400}{
3669 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group-topic,height=9cm}}
3680 2: alt.religion.emacs
3683 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3685 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3686 13: comp.sources.unix
3689 @findex gnus-topic-mode
3691 To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
3692 @code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
3693 is a toggling command.)
3695 Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
3696 dum@dots{} Nice tune, that@dots{} la la la@dots{} What, you're back?
3697 Yes, and now press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed
3698 under @samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy?
3701 If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
3702 the hook for the group mode. Put the following line in your
3703 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
3706 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
3710 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
3711 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
3712 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
3713 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
3714 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
3718 @node Topic Commands
3719 @subsection Topic Commands
3720 @cindex topic commands
3722 When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
3723 available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
3724 definitions slightly.
3726 In general, the following kinds of operations are possible on topics.
3727 First of all, you want to create topics. Secondly, you want to put
3728 groups in topics and to move them around until you have an order you
3729 like. The third kind of operation is to show/hide parts of the whole
3730 shebang. You might want to hide a topic including its subtopics and
3731 groups, to get a better overview of the other groups.
3733 Here is a list of the basic keys that you might need to set up topics
3740 @findex gnus-topic-create-topic
3741 Prompt for a new topic name and create it
3742 (@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
3746 @kindex T TAB (Topic)
3748 @findex gnus-topic-indent
3749 ``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3750 previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
3751 ``un-indent'' the topic instead.
3754 @kindex M-TAB (Topic)
3755 @findex gnus-topic-unindent
3756 ``Un-indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3757 parent of its current parent (@code{gnus-topic-unindent}).
3761 The following two keys can be used to move groups and topics around.
3762 They work like the well-known cut and paste. @kbd{C-k} is like cut and
3763 @kbd{C-y} is like paste. Of course, this being Emacs, we use the terms
3764 kill and yank rather than cut and paste.
3770 @findex gnus-topic-kill-group
3771 Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}). All groups in the
3772 topic will be removed along with the topic.
3776 @findex gnus-topic-yank-group
3777 Yank the previously killed group or topic
3778 (@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}). Note that all topics will be yanked
3781 So, to move a topic to the beginning of the list of topics, just hit
3782 @kbd{C-k} on it. This is like the ``cut'' part of cut and paste. Then,
3783 move the cursor to the beginning of the buffer (just below the ``Gnus''
3784 topic) and hit @kbd{C-y}. This is like the ``paste'' part of cut and
3785 paste. Like I said -- E-Z.
3787 You can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} on groups as well as on topics. So
3788 you can move topics around as well as groups.
3792 After setting up the topics the way you like them, you might wish to
3793 hide a topic, or to show it again. That's why we have the following
3800 @findex gnus-topic-select-group
3802 Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
3803 When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
3804 usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
3805 visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
3806 toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
3807 prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
3811 Now for a list of other commands, in no particular order.
3817 @findex gnus-topic-move-group
3818 Move the current group to some other topic
3819 (@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3820 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3824 @findex gnus-topic-jump-to-topic
3825 Go to a topic (@code{gnus-topic-jump-to-topic}).
3829 @findex gnus-topic-copy-group
3830 Copy the current group to some other topic
3831 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3832 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3836 @findex gnus-topic-hide-topic
3837 Hide the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-hide-topic}). If given
3838 a prefix, hide the topic permanently.
3842 @findex gnus-topic-show-topic
3843 Show the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-show-topic}). If given
3844 a prefix, show the topic permanently.
3848 @findex gnus-topic-remove-group
3849 Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
3850 This command is mainly useful if you have the same group in several
3851 topics and wish to remove it from one of the topics. You may also
3852 remove a group from all topics, but in that case, Gnus will add it to
3853 the root topic the next time you start Gnus. In fact, all new groups
3854 (which, naturally, don't belong to any topic) will show up in the root
3857 This command uses the process/prefix convention
3858 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3862 @findex gnus-topic-move-matching
3863 Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3864 (@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
3868 @findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
3869 Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3870 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
3874 @findex gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics
3875 Toggle hiding empty topics
3876 (@code{gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics}).
3880 @findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
3881 Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
3882 (@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}). This command works recursively on
3883 sub-topics unless given a prefix.
3886 @kindex T M-# (Topic)
3887 @findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
3888 Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
3889 (@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}). This command works recursively on
3890 sub-topics unless given a prefix.
3893 @kindex C-c C-x (Topic)
3894 @findex gnus-topic-expire-articles
3895 @cindex expiring mail
3896 Run all expirable articles in the current group or topic through the
3897 expiry process (if any)
3898 (@code{gnus-topic-expire-articles}). (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3902 @findex gnus-topic-rename
3903 Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
3906 @kindex T DEL (Topic)
3907 @findex gnus-topic-delete
3908 Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
3912 @findex gnus-topic-list-active
3913 List all groups that Gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
3914 (@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
3917 @kindex T M-n (Topic)
3918 @findex gnus-topic-goto-next-topic
3919 Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-next-topic}).
3922 @kindex T M-p (Topic)
3923 @findex gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic
3924 Go to the previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic}).
3928 @findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
3929 @cindex group parameters
3930 @cindex topic parameters
3932 Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
3933 @xref{Topic Parameters}.
3938 @node Topic Variables
3939 @subsection Topic Variables
3940 @cindex topic variables
3942 The previous section told you how to tell Gnus which topics to display.
3943 This section explains how to tell Gnus what to display about each topic.
3945 @vindex gnus-topic-line-format
3946 The topic lines themselves are created according to the
3947 @code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
3960 Number of groups in the topic.
3962 Number of unread articles in the topic.
3964 Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
3967 @vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
3968 Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
3969 @code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
3972 @vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
3973 @code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
3975 @vindex gnus-topic-display-empty-topics
3976 The @code{gnus-topic-display-empty-topics} says whether to display even
3977 topics that have no unread articles in them. The default is @code{t}.
3981 @subsection Topic Sorting
3982 @cindex topic sorting
3984 You can sort the groups in each topic individually with the following
3990 @kindex T S a (Topic)
3991 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3992 Sort the current topic alphabetically by group name
3993 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3996 @kindex T S u (Topic)
3997 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread
3998 Sort the current topic by the number of unread articles
3999 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread}).
4002 @kindex T S l (Topic)
4003 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level
4004 Sort the current topic by group level
4005 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level}).
4008 @kindex T S v (Topic)
4009 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score
4010 Sort the current topic by group score
4011 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
4014 @kindex T S r (Topic)
4015 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank
4016 Sort the current topic by group rank
4017 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
4020 @kindex T S m (Topic)
4021 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
4022 Sort the current topic alphabetically by back end name
4023 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
4026 @kindex T S e (Topic)
4027 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server
4028 Sort the current topic alphabetically by server name
4029 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server}).
4032 @kindex T S s (Topic)
4033 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups
4034 Sort the current topic according to the function(s) given by the
4035 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable
4036 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups}).
4040 When given a prefix argument, all these commands will sort in reverse
4041 order. @xref{Sorting Groups}, for more information about group
4045 @node Topic Topology
4046 @subsection Topic Topology
4047 @cindex topic topology
4050 So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
4057 2: alt.religion.emacs
4060 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
4062 8: comp.binaries.fractals
4063 13: comp.sources.unix
4067 So, here we have one top-level topic (@samp{Gnus}), two topics under
4068 that, and one sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always
4069 just one (1) top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as
4074 (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
4075 (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
4079 @vindex gnus-topic-topology
4080 This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
4081 for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
4082 file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
4083 to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
4084 setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
4086 This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
4087 and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
4088 allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
4091 @node Topic Parameters
4092 @subsection Topic Parameters
4093 @cindex topic parameters
4095 All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent
4096 (and ancestor) topic parameters. All valid group parameters are valid
4097 topic parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}). When the agent is
4098 enabled, all agent parameters (See Agent Parameters in @ref{Category
4099 Syntax}) are also valid topic parameters.
4101 In addition, the following parameters are only valid as topic
4106 When subscribing new groups by topic (@pxref{Subscription Methods}), the
4107 @code{subscribe} topic parameter says what groups go in what topic. Its
4108 value should be a regexp to match the groups that should go in that
4111 @item subscribe-level
4112 When subscribing new groups by topic (see the @code{subscribe} parameter),
4113 the group will be subscribed with the level specified in the
4114 @code{subscribe-level} instead of @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}.
4118 Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
4119 parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
4120 know. Normal inheritance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
4121 verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
4128 2: alt.religion.emacs
4132 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
4134 8: comp.binaries.fractals
4135 13: comp.sources.unix
4140 The @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file
4141 . "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic parameter
4142 @code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc} topic has the
4143 topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In addition,
4144 @* @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter @code{(score-file
4145 . "religion.SCORE")}.
4147 Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
4148 will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
4149 group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
4150 score file. If you enter the group @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll
4151 get the @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
4153 This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
4154 there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
4155 parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
4156 @code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
4157 gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
4158 of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
4159 happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
4160 happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
4163 @node Non-ASCII Group Names
4164 @section Accessing groups of non-English names
4165 @cindex non-ascii group names
4167 There are some news servers that provide groups of which the names are
4168 expressed with their native languages in the world. For instance, in a
4169 certain news server there are some newsgroups of which the names are
4170 spelled in Chinese, where people are talking in Chinese. You can, of
4171 course, subscribe to such news groups using Gnus. Currently Gnus
4172 supports non-@acronym{ASCII} group names not only with the @code{nntp}
4173 back end but also with the @code{nnml} back end and the @code{nnrss}
4176 Every such group name is encoded by a certain charset in the server
4177 side (in an @acronym{NNTP} server its administrator determines the
4178 charset, but for groups in the other back ends it is determined by you).
4179 Gnus has to display the decoded ones for you in the group buffer and the
4180 article buffer, and needs to use the encoded ones when communicating
4181 with servers. However, Gnus doesn't know what charset is used for each
4182 non-@acronym{ASCII} group name. The following two variables are just
4183 the ones for telling Gnus what charset should be used for each group:
4186 @item gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4187 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4188 An alist of select methods and charsets. The default value is
4189 @code{nil}. The names of groups in the server specified by that select
4190 method are all supposed to use the corresponding charset. For example:
4193 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4194 '(((nntp "news.com.cn") . cn-gb-2312)))
4197 Charsets specified for groups with this variable are preferred to the
4198 ones specified for the same groups with the
4199 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist} variable (see below).
4201 A select method can be very long, like:
4205 (nntp-address "news.gmane.org")
4206 (nntp-end-of-line "\n")
4207 (nntp-open-connection-function
4208 nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet)
4209 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
4210 (nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
4211 ("-C" "-t" "-e" "none"))
4212 (nntp-via-address @dots{}))
4215 In that case, you can truncate it into @code{(nntp "gmane")} in this
4216 variable. That is, it is enough to contain only the back end name and
4219 @item gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4220 @cindex UTF-8 group names
4221 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4222 An alist of regexp of group name and the charset for group names.
4223 @code{((".*" . utf-8))} is the default value if UTF-8 is supported,
4224 otherwise the default is @code{nil}. For example:
4227 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4228 '(("\\.com\\.cn:" . cn-gb-2312)
4232 Note that this variable is ignored if the match is made with
4233 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist}.
4236 Those two variables are used also to determine the charset for encoding
4237 and decoding non-@acronym{ASCII} group names that are in the back ends
4238 other than @code{nntp}. It means that it is you who determine it. If
4239 you do nothing, the charset used for group names in those back ends will
4240 all be @code{utf-8} because of the last element of
4241 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist}.
4243 There is one more important variable for non-@acronym{ASCII} group
4244 names. @emph{XEmacs users must set this}. Emacs users necessarily need
4248 @item nnmail-pathname-coding-system
4249 The value of this variable should be a coding system or @code{nil}
4250 (which is the default). The @code{nnml} back end, the @code{nnrss} back
4251 end, the @acronym{NNTP} marks feature (@pxref{NNTP marks}), the agent,
4252 and the cache use non-@acronym{ASCII} group names in those files and
4253 directories. This variable overrides the value of
4254 @code{file-name-coding-system} which specifies the coding system used
4255 when encoding and decoding those file names and directory names.
4257 In XEmacs (with the @code{mule} feature), @code{file-name-coding-system}
4258 is the only means to specify the coding system used to encode and decode
4259 file names. Therefore, @emph{you, XEmacs users, have to set it} to the
4260 coding system that is suitable to encode and decode non-@acronym{ASCII}
4261 group names. On the other hand, Emacs uses the value of
4262 @code{default-file-name-coding-system} if @code{file-name-coding-system}
4263 is @code{nil}. Normally the value of
4264 @code{default-file-name-coding-system} is initialized according to the
4265 locale, so you will need to do nothing if the value is suitable to
4266 encode and decode non-@acronym{ASCII} group names.
4268 The value of this variable (or @code{default-file-name-coding-system})
4269 does not necessarily need to be the same value that is determined by
4270 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist} and
4271 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist}.
4273 If you want to subscribe to the groups spelled in Chinese but
4274 @code{default-file-name-coding-system} is initialized by default to
4275 @code{iso-latin-1} for example, that is the most typical case where you
4276 have to set @code{nnmail-pathname-coding-system} even if you are an
4277 Emacs user. The @code{utf-8} coding system is a good candidate for it.
4278 Otherwise, you may change the locale in your system so that
4279 @code{default-file-name-coding-system} may be initialized to an
4280 appropriate value, instead of specifying this variable.
4283 Note that when you copy or move articles from a non-@acronym{ASCII}
4284 group to another group, the charset used to encode and decode group
4285 names should be the same in both groups. Otherwise the Newsgroups
4286 header will be displayed incorrectly in the article buffer.
4289 @node Misc Group Stuff
4290 @section Misc Group Stuff
4293 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
4294 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
4295 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
4296 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
4297 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
4304 @cindex keys, reserved for users (Group)
4305 The key @kbd{v} is reserved for users. You can bind it to some
4306 command or better use it as a prefix key. For example:
4309 (define-key gnus-group-mode-map (kbd "v j d")
4312 (gnus-group-jump-to-group "nndraft:drafts")))
4315 On keys reserved for users in Emacs and on keybindings in general
4316 @xref{Keymaps, Keymaps, , emacs, The Emacs Editor}.
4320 @findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
4321 Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}).
4322 @xref{Server Buffer}.
4326 @findex gnus-group-post-news
4327 Start composing a message (a news by default)
4328 (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). If given a prefix, post to the group
4329 under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
4330 Contrary to what the name of this function suggests, the prepared
4331 article might be a mail instead of a news, if a mail group is specified
4332 with the prefix argument. @xref{Composing Messages}.
4336 @findex gnus-group-mail
4337 Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}). If given a prefix,
4338 use the posting style of the group under the point. If the prefix is 1,
4339 prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
4340 @xref{Composing Messages}.
4344 @findex gnus-group-news
4345 Start composing a news (@code{gnus-group-news}). If given a prefix,
4346 post to the group under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt
4347 for group to post to. @xref{Composing Messages}.
4349 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
4350 This is useful for ``posting'' messages to mail groups without actually
4351 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
4352 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
4353 for this to work though.
4357 @findex gnus-group-compact-group
4359 Compact the group under point (@code{gnus-group-compact-group}).
4360 Currently implemented only in nnml (@pxref{Mail Spool}). This removes
4361 gaps between article numbers, hence getting a correct total article
4366 Variables for the group buffer:
4370 @item gnus-group-mode-hook
4371 @vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
4372 is called after the group buffer has been
4375 @item gnus-group-prepare-hook
4376 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
4377 is called after the group buffer is
4378 generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
4381 @item gnus-group-prepared-hook
4382 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
4383 is called as the very last thing after the group buffer has been
4384 generated. It may be used to move point around, for instance.
4386 @item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
4387 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
4388 Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
4389 whether they are empty or not.
4393 @node Scanning New Messages
4394 @subsection Scanning New Messages
4395 @cindex new messages
4396 @cindex scanning new news
4402 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news
4403 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news}
4404 Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
4405 this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
4406 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
4407 command will force a total re-reading of the active file(s) from the
4412 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
4413 @vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
4414 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}
4415 Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
4416 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
4417 @code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
4418 to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
4420 @findex gnus-activate-all-groups
4421 @cindex activating groups
4423 @kindex C-c M-g (Group)
4424 Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
4429 @findex gnus-group-restart
4430 Restart Gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc}
4431 file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time
4432 Gnus variables, and then starts Gnus all over again.
4436 @vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
4437 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
4439 @vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
4440 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
4444 @node Group Information
4445 @subsection Group Information
4446 @cindex group information
4447 @cindex information on groups
4454 @findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
4455 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
4458 Try to fetch the @acronym{FAQ} for the current group
4459 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the @acronym{FAQ}
4460 from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on
4461 a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
4462 In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
4463 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} (or @code{efs}) will be
4464 used for fetching the file.
4466 If fetching from the first site is unsuccessful, Gnus will attempt to go
4467 through @code{gnus-group-faq-directory} and try to open them one by one.
4471 @findex gnus-group-fetch-charter
4472 @vindex gnus-group-charter-alist
4474 Try to open the charter for the current group in a web browser
4475 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-charter}). Query for a group if given a
4478 Gnus will use @code{gnus-group-charter-alist} to find the location of
4479 the charter. If no location is known, Gnus will fetch the control
4480 messages for the group, which in some cases includes the charter.
4484 @findex gnus-group-fetch-control
4485 @vindex gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url
4486 @cindex control message
4487 Fetch the control messages for the group from the archive at
4488 @code{ftp.isc.org} (@code{gnus-group-fetch-control}). Query for a
4489 group if given a prefix argument.
4491 If @code{gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url} is non-@code{nil},
4492 Gnus will open the control messages in a browser using
4493 @code{browse-url}. Otherwise they are fetched using @code{ange-ftp}
4494 and displayed in an ephemeral group.
4496 Note that the control messages are compressed. To use this command
4497 you need to turn on @code{auto-compression-mode} (@pxref{Compressed
4498 Files, ,Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Manual}).
4502 @c @icon{gnus-group-describe-group}
4504 @kindex C-c C-d (Group)
4505 @cindex describing groups
4506 @cindex group description
4507 @findex gnus-group-describe-group
4508 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
4509 a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
4513 @findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
4514 Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
4515 prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
4522 @findex gnus-version
4523 Display current Gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
4527 @findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
4528 Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
4531 @kindex C-c C-i (Group)
4534 @findex gnus-info-find-node
4535 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
4539 @node Group Timestamp
4540 @subsection Group Timestamp
4542 @cindex group timestamps
4544 It can be convenient to let Gnus keep track of when you last read a
4545 group. To set the ball rolling, you should add
4546 @code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}:
4549 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp)
4552 After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded.
4554 This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to
4555 use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format:
4558 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4559 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n")
4562 This will result in lines looking like:
4565 * 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943
4566 0: custom 19961002T012713
4569 As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This
4570 may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say
4574 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4575 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
4578 If you would like greater control of the time format, you can use a
4579 user-defined format spec. Something like the following should do the
4583 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4584 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %ud\n")
4585 (defun gnus-user-format-function-d (headers)
4586 (let ((time (gnus-group-timestamp gnus-tmp-group)))
4588 (format-time-string "%b %d %H:%M" time)
4594 @subsection File Commands
4595 @cindex file commands
4601 @findex gnus-group-read-init-file
4602 @vindex gnus-init-file
4603 @cindex reading init file
4604 Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
4605 @file{~/.gnus.el}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
4609 @findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
4610 @cindex saving .newsrc
4611 Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
4612 (@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
4613 file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
4616 @c @kindex Z (Group)
4617 @c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
4618 @c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
4623 @node Sieve Commands
4624 @subsection Sieve Commands
4625 @cindex group sieve commands
4627 Sieve is a server-side mail filtering language. In Gnus you can use
4628 the @code{sieve} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to specify
4629 sieve rules that should apply to each group. Gnus provides two
4630 commands to translate all these group parameters into a proper Sieve
4631 script that can be transfered to the server somehow.
4633 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4634 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-start
4635 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-end
4636 The generated Sieve script is placed in @code{gnus-sieve-file} (by
4637 default @file{~/.sieve}). The Sieve code that Gnus generate is placed
4638 between two delimiters, @code{gnus-sieve-region-start} and
4639 @code{gnus-sieve-region-end}, so you may write additional Sieve code
4640 outside these delimiters that will not be removed the next time you
4641 regenerate the Sieve script.
4643 @vindex gnus-sieve-crosspost
4644 The variable @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} controls how the Sieve script
4645 is generated. If it is non-@code{nil} (the default) articles is
4646 placed in all groups that have matching rules, otherwise the article
4647 is only placed in the group with the first matching rule. For
4648 example, the group parameter @samp{(sieve address "sender"
4649 "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu")} will generate the following piece of Sieve
4650 code if @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is @code{nil}. (When
4651 @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is non-@code{nil}, it looks the same
4652 except that the line containing the call to @code{stop} is removed.)
4655 if address "sender" "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu" @{
4656 fileinto "INBOX.ding";
4661 @xref{Top, Emacs Sieve, Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
4667 @findex gnus-sieve-generate
4668 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4669 @cindex generating sieve script
4670 Regenerate a Sieve script from the @code{sieve} group parameters and
4671 put you into the @code{gnus-sieve-file} without saving it.
4675 @findex gnus-sieve-update
4676 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4677 @cindex updating sieve script
4678 Regenerates the Gnus managed part of @code{gnus-sieve-file} using the
4679 @code{sieve} group parameters, save the file and upload it to the
4680 server using the @code{sieveshell} program.
4685 @node Summary Buffer
4686 @chapter Summary Buffer
4687 @cindex summary buffer
4689 A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
4690 move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
4692 The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the
4693 group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
4695 You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
4697 You can customize the Summary Mode tool bar, see @kbd{M-x
4698 customize-apropos RET gnus-summary-tool-bar}. This feature is only
4702 @cindex keys, reserved for users (Summary)
4703 The key @kbd{v} is reserved for users. You can bind it to some
4704 command or better use it as a prefix key. For example:
4706 (define-key gnus-summary-mode-map (kbd "v -") "LrS") ;; lower subthread
4710 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
4711 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
4712 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
4713 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
4714 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
4715 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
4716 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
4717 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
4718 * Threading:: How threads are made.
4719 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
4720 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
4721 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
4722 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
4723 * Sticky Articles:: Article buffers that are not reused.
4724 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
4725 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
4726 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
4727 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
4728 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
4729 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
4730 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
4731 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
4732 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
4733 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
4734 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
4735 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
4736 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
4737 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
4738 or reselecting the current group.
4739 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
4740 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
4741 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
4742 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
4746 @node Summary Buffer Format
4747 @section Summary Buffer Format
4748 @cindex summary buffer format
4752 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{180}{
4753 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary,width=7.5cm}}
4754 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-article,width=7.5cm}}}
4760 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
4761 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
4762 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
4763 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
4766 @findex mail-extract-address-components
4767 @findex gnus-extract-address-components
4768 @vindex gnus-extract-address-components
4769 Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
4770 variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
4771 @code{From} header. Two pre-defined functions exist:
4772 @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
4773 fast, and too simplistic solution; and
4774 @code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works very nicely, but is
4775 slower. The default function will return the wrong answer in 5% of the
4776 cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the other function instead:
4779 (setq gnus-extract-address-components
4780 'mail-extract-address-components)
4783 @vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
4784 @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
4785 article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
4786 with those specs that require it. The default is @code{""}.
4789 @node Summary Buffer Lines
4790 @subsection Summary Buffer Lines
4792 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4793 You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
4794 the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
4795 lines as a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
4796 (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
4798 There should always be a colon or a point position marker on the line;
4799 the cursor always moves to the point position marker or the colon after
4800 performing an operation. (Of course, Gnus wouldn't be Gnus if it wasn't
4801 possible to change this. Just write a new function
4802 @code{gnus-goto-colon} which does whatever you like with the cursor.)
4803 @xref{Positioning Point}.
4805 The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n}.
4807 The following format specification characters and extended format
4808 specification(s) are understood:
4814 Subject string. List identifiers stripped,
4815 @code{gnus-list-identifiers}. @xref{Article Hiding}.
4817 Subject if the article is the root of the thread or the previous article
4818 had a different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
4819 (@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @code{""}.)
4821 Full @code{From} header.
4823 The name (from the @code{From} header).
4825 The name, @code{To} header or the @code{Newsgroups} header (@pxref{To
4828 The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
4829 spec in that it uses the function designated by the
4830 @code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, which is slower, but
4831 may be more thorough.
4833 The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
4836 Number of lines in the article.
4838 Number of characters in the article. This specifier is not supported
4839 in some methods (like nnfolder).
4841 Pretty-printed version of the number of characters in the article;
4842 for example, @samp{1.2k} or @samp{0.4M}.
4844 Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4846 A complex trn-style thread tree, showing response-connecting trace
4847 lines. A thread could be drawn like this:
4860 You can customize the appearance with the following options. Note
4861 that it is possible to make the thread display look really neat by
4862 replacing the default @acronym{ASCII} characters with graphic
4863 line-drawing glyphs.
4865 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-root
4866 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-root
4867 Used for the root of a thread. If @code{nil}, use subject
4868 instead. The default is @samp{> }.
4870 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-false-root
4871 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-false-root
4872 Used for the false root of a thread (@pxref{Loose Threads}). If
4873 @code{nil}, use subject instead. The default is @samp{> }.
4875 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-indent
4876 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-indent
4877 Used for a thread with just one message. If @code{nil}, use subject
4878 instead. The default is @samp{}.
4880 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-vertical
4881 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-vertical
4882 Used for drawing a vertical line. The default is @samp{| }.
4884 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-indent
4885 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-indent
4886 Used for indenting. The default is @samp{ }.
4888 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-leaf-with-other
4889 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-leaf-with-other
4890 Used for a leaf with brothers. The default is @samp{+-> }.
4892 @item gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-leaf
4893 @vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-leaf
4894 Used for a leaf without brothers. The default is @samp{\-> }
4899 Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
4900 pushes everything after it off the screen).
4902 Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{[}, but can also be @samp{<}
4903 for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4905 Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{]}, but can also be @samp{>}
4906 for adopted articles.
4908 One space for each thread level.
4910 Twenty minus thread level spaces.
4912 Unread. @xref{Read Articles}.
4915 This misleadingly named specifier is the @dfn{secondary mark}. This
4916 mark will say whether the article has been replied to, has been cached,
4917 or has been saved. @xref{Other Marks}.
4920 Score as a number (@pxref{Scoring}).
4922 @vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
4923 Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
4924 default level. If the difference between
4925 @code{gnus-summary-default-score} and the score is less than
4926 @code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
4934 The @code{Date} in @code{DD-MMM} format.
4936 The @code{Date} in @var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS} format.
4942 Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
4943 down summary buffer generation somewhat.
4945 An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the
4946 article has any children.
4952 Desired cursor position (instead of after first colon).
4954 Age sensitive date format. Various date format is defined in
4955 @code{gnus-user-date-format-alist}.
4957 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
4958 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
4959 @code{gnus-user-format-function-@var{x}}, where @var{x} is the letter
4960 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
4961 argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
4962 into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
4965 Text between @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} will be highlighted with
4966 @code{gnus-mouse-face} when the mouse point is placed inside the area.
4967 There can only be one such area.
4969 The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
4970 have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, Gnus will
4971 compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
4972 that. This means that it is invalid to have these specs after a
4973 variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
4974 buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
4976 The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
4977 (Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
4979 This restriction may disappear in later versions of Gnus.
4982 @node To From Newsgroups
4983 @subsection To From Newsgroups
4987 In some groups (particularly in archive groups), the @code{From} header
4988 isn't very interesting, since all the articles there are written by
4989 you. To display the information in the @code{To} or @code{Newsgroups}
4990 headers instead, you need to decide three things: What information to
4991 gather; where to display it; and when to display it.
4995 @vindex gnus-extra-headers
4996 The reading of extra header information is controlled by the
4997 @code{gnus-extra-headers}. This is a list of header symbols. For
5001 (setq gnus-extra-headers
5002 '(To Newsgroups X-Newsreader))
5005 This will result in Gnus trying to obtain these three headers, and
5006 storing it in header structures for later easy retrieval.
5009 @findex gnus-extra-header
5010 The value of these extra headers can be accessed via the
5011 @code{gnus-extra-header} function. Here's a format line spec that will
5012 access the @code{X-Newsreader} header:
5015 "%~(form (gnus-extra-header 'X-Newsreader))@@"
5019 @vindex gnus-ignored-from-addresses
5020 The @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses} variable says when the @samp{%f}
5021 summary line spec returns the @code{To}, @code{Newsreader} or
5022 @code{From} header. If this regexp matches the contents of the
5023 @code{From} header, the value of the @code{To} or @code{Newsreader}
5024 headers are used instead.
5026 To distinguish regular articles from those where the @code{From} field
5027 has been swapped, a string is prefixed to the @code{To} or
5028 @code{Newsgroups} header in the summary line. By default the string is
5029 @samp{-> } for @code{To} and @samp{=> } for @code{Newsgroups}, you can
5030 customize these strings with @code{gnus-summary-to-prefix} and
5031 @code{gnus-summary-newsgroup-prefix}.
5035 @vindex nnmail-extra-headers
5036 A related variable is @code{nnmail-extra-headers}, which controls when
5037 to include extra headers when generating overview (@acronym{NOV}) files.
5038 If you have old overview files, you should regenerate them after
5039 changing this variable, by entering the server buffer using @kbd{^},
5040 and then @kbd{g} on the appropriate mail server (e.g. nnml) to cause
5043 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
5044 You also have to instruct Gnus to display the data by changing the
5045 @code{%n} spec to the @code{%f} spec in the
5046 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable.
5048 In summary, you'd typically put something like the following in
5052 (setq gnus-extra-headers
5054 (setq nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
5055 (setq gnus-summary-line-format
5056 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
5057 (setq gnus-ignored-from-addresses
5061 (The values listed above are the default values in Gnus. Alter them
5064 A note for news server administrators, or for users who wish to try to
5065 convince their news server administrator to provide some additional
5068 The above is mostly useful for mail groups, where you have control over
5069 the @acronym{NOV} files that are created. However, if you can persuade your
5070 nntp admin to add (in the usual implementation, notably INN):
5076 to the end of her @file{overview.fmt} file, then you can use that just
5077 as you would the extra headers from the mail groups.
5080 @node Summary Buffer Mode Line
5081 @subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
5083 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
5084 You can also change the format of the summary mode bar (@pxref{Mode Line
5085 Formatting}). Set @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you
5086 like. The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}.
5088 Here are the elements you can play with:
5094 Unprefixed group name.
5096 Current article number.
5098 Current article score.
5102 Number of unread articles in this group.
5104 Number of unread articles in this group that aren't displayed in the
5107 A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
5108 either as @samp{<%U(+%e) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
5109 articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
5110 and no unselected ones.
5112 Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
5113 shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
5115 Subject of the current article.
5117 User-defined spec (@pxref{User-Defined Specs}).
5119 Name of the current score file (@pxref{Scoring}).
5121 Number of dormant articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
5123 Number of ticked articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
5125 Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
5127 Number of articles expunged by the score files.
5131 @node Summary Highlighting
5132 @subsection Summary Highlighting
5136 @item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
5137 @vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
5138 This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
5139 highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
5140 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
5142 @item gnus-summary-update-hook
5143 @vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
5144 This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
5145 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
5147 @item gnus-summary-selected-face
5148 @vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
5149 This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) used to
5150 highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
5152 @item gnus-summary-highlight
5153 @vindex gnus-summary-highlight
5154 Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
5155 list where the elements are of the format @code{(@var{form}
5156 . @var{face})}. If you would, for instance, like ticked articles to be
5157 italic and high-scored articles to be bold, you could set this variable
5160 (((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
5161 ((> score default) . bold))
5163 As you may have guessed, if @var{form} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
5164 @var{face} will be applied to the line.
5168 @node Summary Maneuvering
5169 @section Summary Maneuvering
5170 @cindex summary movement
5172 All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
5173 behave pretty much as you'd expect.
5175 None of these commands select articles.
5180 @kindex M-n (Summary)
5181 @kindex G M-n (Summary)
5182 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
5183 Go to the next summary line of an unread article
5184 (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
5188 @kindex M-p (Summary)
5189 @kindex G M-p (Summary)
5190 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
5191 Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
5192 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
5195 @kindex G g (Summary)
5196 @findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
5197 Ask for an article number and then go to the summary line of that article
5198 without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
5201 If Gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
5202 can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
5203 buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
5204 to the group buffer.
5206 Variables related to summary movement:
5210 @vindex gnus-auto-select-next
5211 @item gnus-auto-select-next
5212 If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are
5213 no more unread articles after the current one, Gnus will offer to go to
5214 the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
5215 empty, Gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
5216 this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, Gnus will select the
5217 next group with unread articles. As a special case, if this variable
5218 is @code{quietly}, Gnus will select the next group without asking for
5219 confirmation. If this variable is @code{almost-quietly}, the same
5220 will happen only if you are located on the last article in the group.
5221 Finally, if this variable is @code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n}
5222 command will go to the next group without confirmation. Also
5223 @pxref{Group Levels}.
5225 @item gnus-auto-select-same
5226 @vindex gnus-auto-select-same
5227 If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
5228 article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
5229 mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
5230 for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) If there are no more
5231 articles with the same subject, go to the first unread article.
5233 This variable is not particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
5235 @item gnus-summary-check-current
5236 @vindex gnus-summary-check-current
5237 If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
5238 to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
5239 Instead, they will choose the current article.
5241 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
5242 @vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
5243 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
5244 centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
5245 slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
5246 set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
5247 action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
5248 buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
5251 This variable can also be a number. In that case, center the window at
5252 the given number of lines from the top.
5257 @node Choosing Articles
5258 @section Choosing Articles
5259 @cindex selecting articles
5262 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
5263 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
5267 @node Choosing Commands
5268 @subsection Choosing Commands
5270 None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
5271 and they all select and display an article.
5273 If you want to fetch new articles or redisplay the group, see
5274 @ref{Exiting the Summary Buffer}.
5278 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
5279 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
5280 Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
5281 unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
5283 If you have an article window open already and you press @kbd{SPACE}
5284 again, the article will be scrolled. This lets you conveniently
5285 @kbd{SPACE} through an entire newsgroup. @xref{Paging the Article}.
5290 @kindex G n (Summary)
5291 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
5292 @c @icon{gnus-summary-next-unread}
5293 Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
5298 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
5299 @c @icon{gnus-summary-prev-unread}
5300 Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
5305 @kindex G N (Summary)
5306 @findex gnus-summary-next-article
5307 Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
5312 @kindex G P (Summary)
5313 @findex gnus-summary-prev-article
5314 Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
5317 @kindex G C-n (Summary)
5318 @findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
5319 Go to the next article with the same subject
5320 (@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
5323 @kindex G C-p (Summary)
5324 @findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
5325 Go to the previous article with the same subject
5326 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
5330 @kindex G f (Summary)
5332 @findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
5333 Go to the first unread article
5334 (@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
5338 @kindex G b (Summary)
5340 @findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
5341 Go to the unread article with the highest score
5342 (@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}). If given a prefix argument,
5343 go to the first unread article that has a score over the default score.
5348 @kindex G l (Summary)
5349 @findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
5350 Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
5353 @kindex G o (Summary)
5354 @findex gnus-summary-pop-article
5356 @cindex article history
5357 Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
5358 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
5359 command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
5360 history as you like, while @kbd{l} toggles the two last read articles.
5361 For a somewhat related issue (if you use these commands a lot),
5362 @pxref{Article Backlog}.
5367 @kindex G j (Summary)
5368 @findex gnus-summary-goto-article
5369 Ask for an article number or @code{Message-ID}, and then go to that
5370 article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
5375 @node Choosing Variables
5376 @subsection Choosing Variables
5378 Some variables relevant for moving and selecting articles:
5381 @item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
5382 @vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
5383 All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
5384 article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
5385 this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
5386 the server and display it in the article buffer.
5388 @item gnus-select-article-hook
5389 @vindex gnus-select-article-hook
5390 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. The default is
5391 @code{nil}. If you would like each article to be saved in the Agent as
5392 you read it, putting @code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} on this
5395 @item gnus-mark-article-hook
5396 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
5397 @findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
5398 @findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
5399 @findex gnus-unread-mark
5400 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
5401 be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
5402 @code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
5403 mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-read-mark}. The only
5404 articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
5405 expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
5406 marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
5407 instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
5408 @code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
5413 @node Paging the Article
5414 @section Scrolling the Article
5415 @cindex article scrolling
5420 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
5421 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
5422 Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
5423 or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
5424 next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
5426 @vindex gnus-article-boring-faces
5427 @vindex gnus-article-skip-boring
5428 If @code{gnus-article-skip-boring} is non-@code{nil} and the rest of
5429 the article consists only of citations and signature, then it will be
5430 skipped; the next article will be shown instead. You can customize
5431 what is considered uninteresting with
5432 @code{gnus-article-boring-faces}. You can manually view the article's
5433 pages, no matter how boring, using @kbd{C-M-v}.
5436 @kindex DEL (Summary)
5437 @findex gnus-summary-prev-page
5438 Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
5441 @kindex RET (Summary)
5442 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
5443 Scroll the current article one line forward
5444 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
5447 @kindex M-RET (Summary)
5448 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-down
5449 Scroll the current article one line backward
5450 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-down}).
5454 @kindex A g (Summary)
5456 @findex gnus-summary-show-article
5457 @vindex gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
5458 (Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
5459 given a prefix, fetch the current article, but don't run any of the
5460 article treatment functions. This will give you a ``raw'' article, just
5461 the way it came from the server.
5463 If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual charset stuff.
5464 @kbd{C-u 0 g cn-gb-2312 RET} will decode the message as if it were
5465 encoded in the @code{cn-gb-2312} charset. If you have
5468 (setq gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
5473 then you can say @kbd{C-u 1 g} to get the same effect.
5478 @kindex A < (Summary)
5479 @findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
5480 Scroll to the beginning of the article
5481 (@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
5486 @kindex A > (Summary)
5487 @findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
5488 Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
5492 @kindex A s (Summary)
5494 @findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
5495 Perform an isearch in the article buffer
5496 (@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
5500 @findex gnus-summary-select-article-buffer
5501 Select the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-select-article-buffer}).
5506 @node Reply Followup and Post
5507 @section Reply, Followup and Post
5510 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
5511 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
5512 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
5513 * Canceling and Superseding::
5517 @node Summary Mail Commands
5518 @subsection Summary Mail Commands
5520 @cindex composing mail
5522 Commands for composing a mail message:
5528 @kindex S r (Summary)
5530 @findex gnus-summary-reply
5531 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-reply}
5532 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply}
5533 Mail a reply to the author of the current article
5534 (@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
5539 @kindex S R (Summary)
5540 @findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
5541 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}
5542 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
5543 original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
5544 command uses the process/prefix convention.
5547 @kindex S w (Summary)
5548 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply
5549 Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article
5550 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{wide reply} is a reply that
5551 goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5552 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers. If @code{Mail-Followup-To} is
5553 present, that's used instead.
5556 @kindex S W (Summary)
5557 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
5558 Mail a wide reply to the current article and include the original
5559 message (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original}). This command uses
5560 the process/prefix convention.
5563 @kindex S v (Summary)
5564 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply
5565 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article
5566 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{very wide reply} is a reply
5567 that goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5568 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers in all the process/prefixed
5569 articles. This command uses the process/prefix convention.
5572 @kindex S V (Summary)
5573 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original
5574 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article and include the
5575 original message (@code{gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original}). This
5576 command uses the process/prefix convention.
5579 @kindex S B r (Summary)
5580 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to
5581 Mail a reply to the author of the current article but ignore the
5582 @code{Reply-To} field (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to}).
5583 If you need this because a mailing list incorrectly sets a
5584 @code{Reply-To} header pointing to the list, you probably want to set
5585 the @code{broken-reply-to} group parameter instead, so things will work
5586 correctly. @xref{Group Parameters}.
5589 @kindex S B R (Summary)
5590 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original
5591 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
5592 original message but ignore the @code{Reply-To} field
5593 (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original}).
5597 @kindex S o m (Summary)
5598 @kindex C-c C-f (Summary)
5599 @findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
5600 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-forward}
5601 Forward the current article to some other person
5602 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If no prefix is given, the message
5603 is forwarded according to the value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime})
5604 and (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
5605 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
5606 as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
5607 forward as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
5608 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
5609 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
5610 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME}
5616 @kindex S m (Summary)
5617 @findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
5618 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-originate}
5619 Prepare a mail (@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}). By default, use
5620 the posting style of the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5621 If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
5626 @kindex S i (Summary)
5627 @findex gnus-summary-news-other-window
5628 Prepare a news (@code{gnus-summary-news-other-window}). By default,
5629 post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that. If the
5630 prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
5632 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
5633 This is useful for ``posting'' messages to mail groups without actually
5634 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
5635 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
5636 for this to work though.
5639 @kindex S D b (Summary)
5640 @findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
5641 @cindex bouncing mail
5642 If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
5643 reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
5644 resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
5645 will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
5646 sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
5647 the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, Gnus will try to fetch
5648 that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
5649 very well fail, though.
5652 @kindex S D r (Summary)
5653 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message
5654 Not to be confused with the previous command,
5655 @code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
5656 send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
5657 headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
5658 @code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
5659 means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
5660 header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
5661 So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
5663 This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
5664 ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
5665 @code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
5666 to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
5667 @code{postmaster}. Ordnung muss sein!
5669 This command understands the process/prefix convention
5670 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5673 @kindex S D e (Summary)
5674 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message-edit
5676 Like the previous command, but will allow you to edit the message as
5677 if it were a new message before resending.
5680 @kindex S O m (Summary)
5681 @findex gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward
5682 Digest the current series (@pxref{Decoding Articles}) and forward the
5683 result using mail (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command
5684 uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5687 @kindex S M-c (Summary)
5688 @findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
5689 @cindex crossposting
5690 @cindex excessive crossposting
5691 Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
5692 current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
5694 @findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
5695 This command is provided as a way to fight back against the current
5696 crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
5697 using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
5698 command understands the process/prefix convention
5699 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
5703 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5704 Manual}, for more information.
5707 @node Summary Post Commands
5708 @subsection Summary Post Commands
5710 @cindex composing news
5712 Commands for posting a news article:
5718 @kindex S p (Summary)
5719 @findex gnus-summary-post-news
5720 @c @icon{gnus-summary-post-news}
5721 Prepare for posting an article (@code{gnus-summary-post-news}). By
5722 default, post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5723 If the prefix is 1, prompt for another group instead.
5728 @kindex S f (Summary)
5729 @findex gnus-summary-followup
5730 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup}
5731 Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
5735 @kindex S F (Summary)
5737 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}
5738 @findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
5739 Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
5740 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
5741 process/prefix convention.
5744 @kindex S n (Summary)
5745 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
5746 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5747 message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}).
5750 @kindex S N (Summary)
5751 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original
5752 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5753 message through mail and include the original message
5754 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses
5755 the process/prefix convention.
5758 @kindex S o p (Summary)
5759 @findex gnus-summary-post-forward
5760 Forward the current article to a newsgroup
5761 (@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}).
5762 If no prefix is given, the message is forwarded according to the value
5763 of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}) and
5764 (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
5765 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
5766 as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
5767 forward as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
5768 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
5769 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
5770 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section.
5773 @kindex S O p (Summary)
5774 @findex gnus-uu-digest-post-forward
5776 @cindex making digests
5777 Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
5778 (@code{gnus-uu-digest-post-forward}). This command uses the
5779 process/prefix convention.
5782 @kindex S u (Summary)
5783 @findex gnus-uu-post-news
5784 @c @icon{gnus-uu-post-news}
5785 Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
5786 (@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
5789 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5790 Manual}, for more information.
5793 @node Summary Message Commands
5794 @subsection Summary Message Commands
5798 @kindex S y (Summary)
5799 @findex gnus-summary-yank-message
5800 Yank the current article into an already existing Message composition
5801 buffer (@code{gnus-summary-yank-message}). This command prompts for
5802 what message buffer you want to yank into, and understands the
5803 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5808 @node Canceling and Superseding
5809 @subsection Canceling Articles
5810 @cindex canceling articles
5811 @cindex superseding articles
5813 Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
5814 really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
5816 Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
5818 @findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
5820 @c @icon{gnus-summary-cancel-article}
5821 Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
5822 articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
5823 c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
5824 canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
5825 This command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5827 Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
5828 live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
5831 Gnus will use the ``current'' select method when canceling. If you
5832 want to use the standard posting method, use the @samp{a} symbolic
5833 prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}).
5835 Gnus ensures that only you can cancel your own messages using a
5836 @code{Cancel-Lock} header (@pxref{Canceling News, Canceling News, ,
5837 message, Message Manual}).
5839 If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
5840 corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
5841 your original article.
5843 @findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
5845 Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
5846 (@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
5847 where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
5850 The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
5851 sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
5852 have posted almost the same article twice.
5854 If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
5855 there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
5856 waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
5857 to the post buffer (which is called @code{*sent ...*}). There you will
5858 find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
5859 the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
5860 header by substituting one of those words for the word
5861 @code{Message-ID}. Then just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as
5862 you would do normally. The previous article will be
5863 canceled/superseded.
5865 Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
5867 @node Delayed Articles
5868 @section Delayed Articles
5869 @cindex delayed sending
5870 @cindex send delayed
5872 Sometimes, you might wish to delay the sending of a message. For
5873 example, you might wish to arrange for a message to turn up just in time
5874 to remind your about the birthday of your Significant Other. For this,
5875 there is the @code{gnus-delay} package. Setup is simple:
5878 (gnus-delay-initialize)
5881 @findex gnus-delay-article
5882 Normally, to send a message you use the @kbd{C-c C-c} command from
5883 Message mode. To delay a message, use @kbd{C-c C-j}
5884 (@code{gnus-delay-article}) instead. This will ask you for how long the
5885 message should be delayed. Possible answers are:
5889 A time span. Consists of an integer and a letter. For example,
5890 @code{42d} means to delay for 42 days. Available letters are @code{m}
5891 (minutes), @code{h} (hours), @code{d} (days), @code{w} (weeks), @code{M}
5892 (months) and @code{Y} (years).
5895 A specific date. Looks like @code{YYYY-MM-DD}. The message will be
5896 delayed until that day, at a specific time (eight o'clock by default).
5897 See also @code{gnus-delay-default-hour}.
5900 A specific time of day. Given in @code{hh:mm} format, 24h, no am/pm
5901 stuff. The deadline will be at that time today, except if that time has
5902 already passed, then it's at the given time tomorrow. So if it's ten
5903 o'clock in the morning and you specify @code{11:15}, then the deadline
5904 is one hour and fifteen minutes hence. But if you specify @code{9:20},
5905 that means a time tomorrow.
5908 The action of the @code{gnus-delay-article} command is influenced by a
5909 couple of variables:
5912 @item gnus-delay-default-hour
5913 @vindex gnus-delay-default-hour
5914 When you specify a specific date, the message will be due on that hour
5915 on the given date. Possible values are integers 0 through 23.
5917 @item gnus-delay-default-delay
5918 @vindex gnus-delay-default-delay
5919 This is a string and gives the default delay. It can be of any of the
5920 formats described above.
5922 @item gnus-delay-group
5923 @vindex gnus-delay-group
5924 Delayed articles will be kept in this group on the drafts server until
5925 they are due. You probably don't need to change this. The default
5926 value is @code{"delayed"}.
5928 @item gnus-delay-header
5929 @vindex gnus-delay-header
5930 The deadline for each article will be stored in a header. This variable
5931 is a string and gives the header name. You probably don't need to
5932 change this. The default value is @code{"X-Gnus-Delayed"}.
5935 The way delaying works is like this: when you use the
5936 @code{gnus-delay-article} command, you give a certain delay. Gnus
5937 calculates the deadline of the message and stores it in the
5938 @code{X-Gnus-Delayed} header and puts the message in the
5939 @code{nndraft:delayed} group.
5941 @findex gnus-delay-send-queue
5942 And whenever you get new news, Gnus looks through the group for articles
5943 which are due and sends them. It uses the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue}
5944 function for this. By default, this function is added to the hook
5945 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But of course, you can change this.
5946 Maybe you want to use the demon to send drafts? Just tell the demon to
5947 execute the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} function.
5950 @item gnus-delay-initialize
5951 @findex gnus-delay-initialize
5952 By default, this function installs @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} in
5953 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But it accepts the optional second
5954 argument @code{no-check}. If it is non-@code{nil},
5955 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is not changed. The optional first
5956 argument is ignored.
5958 For example, @code{(gnus-delay-initialize nil t)} means to do nothing.
5959 Presumably, you want to use the demon for sending due delayed articles.
5960 Just don't forget to set that up :-)
5964 @node Marking Articles
5965 @section Marking Articles
5966 @cindex article marking
5967 @cindex article ticking
5970 There are several marks you can set on an article.
5972 You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
5973 neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
5974 @dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
5976 In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
5979 There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks.
5983 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
5984 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
5985 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
5986 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
5987 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
5988 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
5992 @node Unread Articles
5993 @subsection Unread Articles
5995 The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or
6000 @vindex gnus-ticked-mark
6001 Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}).
6003 @dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
6004 you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
6005 reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
6006 tick it. However, articles can be expired (from news servers by the
6007 news server software, Gnus itself never expires ticked messages), so if
6008 you want to keep an article forever, you'll have to make it persistent
6009 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
6012 @vindex gnus-dormant-mark
6013 Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}).
6015 @dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
6016 are followups to it. If you want to see them even if they don't have
6017 followups, you can use the @kbd{/ D} command (@pxref{Limiting}).
6018 Otherwise (except for the visibility issue), they are just like ticked
6022 @vindex gnus-unread-mark
6023 Marked as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}).
6025 @dfn{Unread articles} are articles that haven't been read at all yet.
6030 @subsection Read Articles
6031 @cindex expirable mark
6033 All the following marks mark articles as read.
6038 @vindex gnus-del-mark
6039 These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d}
6040 command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}).
6043 @vindex gnus-read-mark
6044 Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
6047 @vindex gnus-ancient-mark
6048 Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now
6049 @dfn{old} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
6052 @vindex gnus-killed-mark
6053 Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
6056 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
6057 Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
6060 @vindex gnus-low-score-mark
6061 Marked as read by having too low a score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
6064 @vindex gnus-catchup-mark
6065 Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
6068 @vindex gnus-canceled-mark
6069 Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
6072 @vindex gnus-souped-mark
6073 @sc{soup}ed article (@code{gnus-souped-mark}). @xref{SOUP}.
6076 @vindex gnus-sparse-mark
6077 Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
6081 @vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
6082 Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
6083 (@code{gnus-duplicate-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
6087 All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
6088 They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though.
6090 One more special mark, though:
6094 @vindex gnus-expirable-mark
6095 Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
6097 Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such
6098 automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't
6099 control expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance,
6100 articles marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by Gnus at
6106 @subsection Other Marks
6107 @cindex process mark
6110 There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
6116 You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
6117 long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
6118 before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
6119 in the article, and Gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
6120 encounters the article. @xref{Setting Marks}.
6123 @vindex gnus-replied-mark
6124 All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
6125 answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
6126 (@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
6129 @vindex gnus-forwarded-mark
6130 All articles that you have forwarded will be marked with an @samp{F} in
6131 the second column (@code{gnus-forwarded-mark}).
6134 @vindex gnus-cached-mark
6135 Articles stored in the article cache will be marked with an @samp{*} in
6136 the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}). @xref{Article Caching}.
6139 @vindex gnus-saved-mark
6140 Articles ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
6141 religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
6142 (@code{gnus-saved-mark}).
6145 @vindex gnus-recent-mark
6146 Articles that according to the server haven't been shown to the user
6147 before are marked with a @samp{N} in the second column
6148 (@code{gnus-recent-mark}). Note that not all servers support this
6149 mark, in which case it simply never appears. Compare with
6150 @code{gnus-unseen-mark}.
6153 @vindex gnus-unseen-mark
6154 Articles that haven't been seen before in Gnus by the user are marked
6155 with a @samp{.} in the second column (@code{gnus-unseen-mark}).
6156 Compare with @code{gnus-recent-mark}.
6159 @vindex gnus-downloaded-mark
6160 When using the Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}), articles may be
6161 downloaded for unplugged (offline) viewing. If you are using the
6162 @samp{%O} spec, these articles get the @samp{+} mark in that spec.
6163 (The variable @code{gnus-downloaded-mark} controls which character to
6167 @vindex gnus-undownloaded-mark
6168 When using the Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}), some articles might
6169 not have been downloaded. Such articles cannot be viewed while you
6170 are unplugged (offline). If you are using the @samp{%O} spec, these
6171 articles get the @samp{-} mark in that spec. (The variable
6172 @code{gnus-undownloaded-mark} controls which character to use.)
6175 @vindex gnus-downloadable-mark
6176 The Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}) downloads some articles
6177 automatically, but it is also possible to explicitly mark articles for
6178 download, even if they would not be downloaded automatically. Such
6179 explicitly-marked articles get the @samp{%} mark in the first column.
6180 (The variable @code{gnus-downloadable-mark} controls which character to
6184 @vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
6185 @vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
6186 If the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
6187 marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
6188 @code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
6191 @vindex gnus-process-mark
6192 Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}). A
6193 variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
6194 instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
6195 all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
6196 marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
6200 You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
6201 appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
6202 replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
6204 Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
6205 replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
6206 you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
6210 @subsection Setting Marks
6211 @cindex setting marks
6213 All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
6218 @kindex M c (Summary)
6219 @kindex M-u (Summary)
6220 @findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
6221 @cindex mark as unread
6222 Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
6223 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}). In other words, mark the
6229 @kindex M t (Summary)
6230 @findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
6231 Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
6232 @xref{Article Caching}.
6237 @kindex M ? (Summary)
6238 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
6239 Mark the current article as dormant
6240 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}). @xref{Article Caching}.
6244 @kindex M d (Summary)
6246 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
6247 Mark the current article as read
6248 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
6252 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
6253 Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
6254 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
6259 @kindex M k (Summary)
6260 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
6261 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
6262 and then select the next unread article
6263 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
6267 @kindex M K (Summary)
6268 @kindex C-k (Summary)
6269 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
6270 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
6271 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
6274 @kindex M C (Summary)
6275 @findex gnus-summary-catchup
6276 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup}
6277 Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
6280 @kindex M C-c (Summary)
6281 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
6282 Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
6283 articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
6286 @kindex M H (Summary)
6287 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
6288 Catchup the current group to point (before the point)
6289 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
6292 @kindex M h (Summary)
6293 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-from-here
6294 Catchup the current group from point (after the point)
6295 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-from-here}).
6298 @kindex C-w (Summary)
6299 @findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
6300 Mark all articles between point and mark as read
6301 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
6304 @kindex M V k (Summary)
6305 @findex gnus-summary-kill-below
6306 Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
6307 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
6311 @kindex M e (Summary)
6313 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
6314 Mark the current article as expirable
6315 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
6318 @kindex M b (Summary)
6319 @findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
6320 Set a bookmark in the current article
6321 (@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
6324 @kindex M B (Summary)
6325 @findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
6326 Remove the bookmark from the current article
6327 (@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
6330 @kindex M V c (Summary)
6331 @findex gnus-summary-clear-above
6332 Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
6333 over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
6336 @kindex M V u (Summary)
6337 @findex gnus-summary-tick-above
6338 Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
6339 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
6342 @kindex M V m (Summary)
6343 @findex gnus-summary-mark-above
6344 Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
6345 score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
6346 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
6349 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
6350 The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
6351 be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
6352 the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
6353 one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
6354 @code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
6355 @kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
6356 The default is @code{t}.
6359 @node Generic Marking Commands
6360 @subsection Generic Marking Commands
6362 Some people would like the command that ticks an article (@kbd{!}) go to
6363 the next article. Others would like it to go to the next unread
6364 article. Yet others would like it to stay on the current article. And
6365 even though I haven't heard of anybody wanting it to go to the
6366 previous (unread) article, I'm sure there are people that want that as
6369 Multiply these five behaviors with five different marking commands, and
6370 you get a potentially complex set of variable to control what each
6373 To sidestep that mess, Gnus provides commands that do all these
6374 different things. They can be found on the @kbd{M M} map in the summary
6375 buffer. Type @kbd{M M C-h} to see them all---there are too many of them
6376 to list in this manual.
6378 While you can use these commands directly, most users would prefer
6379 altering the summary mode keymap. For instance, if you would like the
6380 @kbd{!} command to go to the next article instead of the next unread
6381 article, you could say something like:
6385 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'my-alter-summary-map)
6386 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
6387 (local-set-key "!" 'gnus-summary-put-mark-as-ticked-next))
6395 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
6396 (local-set-key "!" "MM!n"))
6400 @node Setting Process Marks
6401 @subsection Setting Process Marks
6402 @cindex setting process marks
6404 Process marks are displayed as @code{#} in the summary buffer, and are
6405 used for marking articles in such a way that other commands will
6406 process these articles. For instance, if you process mark four
6407 articles and then use the @kbd{*} command, Gnus will enter these four
6408 articles into the cache. For more information,
6409 @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
6416 @kindex M P p (Summary)
6417 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
6418 Mark the current article with the process mark
6419 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
6420 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
6424 @kindex M P u (Summary)
6425 @kindex M-# (Summary)
6426 Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
6427 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
6430 @kindex M P U (Summary)
6431 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
6432 Remove the process mark from all articles
6433 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
6436 @kindex M P i (Summary)
6437 @findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
6438 Invert the list of process marked articles
6439 (@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
6442 @kindex M P R (Summary)
6443 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
6444 Mark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
6445 expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
6448 @kindex M P G (Summary)
6449 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp
6450 Unmark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
6451 expression (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp}).
6454 @kindex M P r (Summary)
6455 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
6456 Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
6459 @kindex M P g (Summary)
6460 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-region
6461 Unmark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-region}).
6464 @kindex M P t (Summary)
6465 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
6466 Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
6467 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
6470 @kindex M P T (Summary)
6471 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
6472 Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
6473 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
6476 @kindex M P v (Summary)
6477 @findex gnus-uu-mark-over
6478 Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
6479 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
6482 @kindex M P s (Summary)
6483 @findex gnus-uu-mark-series
6484 Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
6487 @kindex M P S (Summary)
6488 @findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
6489 Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
6490 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
6493 @kindex M P a (Summary)
6494 @findex gnus-uu-mark-all
6495 Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}).
6498 @kindex M P b (Summary)
6499 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
6500 Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
6501 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
6504 @kindex M P k (Summary)
6505 @findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
6506 Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
6507 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
6510 @kindex M P y (Summary)
6511 @findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
6512 Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
6513 (@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
6516 @kindex M P w (Summary)
6517 @findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
6518 Push the current process mark set onto the stack
6519 (@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
6523 Also see the @kbd{&} command in @ref{Searching for Articles}, for how to
6524 set process marks based on article body contents.
6531 It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
6532 subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
6533 commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
6536 All limiting commands work on subsets of the articles already fetched
6537 from the servers. None of these commands query the server for
6538 additional articles.
6544 @kindex / / (Summary)
6545 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
6546 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
6547 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}). If given a prefix, exclude
6551 @kindex / a (Summary)
6552 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
6553 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
6554 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}). If given a prefix, exclude
6558 @kindex / R (Summary)
6559 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-recipient
6560 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some recipient
6561 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-recipient}). If given a prefix, exclude
6565 @kindex / A (Summary)
6566 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-address
6567 Limit the summary buffer to articles in which contents of From, To or Cc
6568 header match a given address (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-address}). If
6569 given a prefix, exclude matching articles.
6572 @kindex / S (Summary)
6573 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-singletons
6574 Limit the summary buffer to articles that aren't part of any displayed
6575 threads (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-singletons}). If given a prefix,
6576 limit to articles that are part of displayed threads.
6579 @kindex / x (Summary)
6580 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-extra
6581 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match one of the ``extra''
6582 headers (@pxref{To From Newsgroups})
6583 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-extra}). If given a prefix, exclude
6588 @kindex / u (Summary)
6590 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
6591 Limit the summary buffer to articles not marked as read
6592 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
6593 buffer to articles strictly unread. This means that ticked and
6594 dormant articles will also be excluded.
6597 @kindex / m (Summary)
6598 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
6599 Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have been marked
6600 with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
6603 @kindex / t (Summary)
6604 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age
6605 Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles older than (or equal to) that number of days
6606 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-age}). If given a prefix, limit to
6607 articles younger than that number of days.
6610 @kindex / n (Summary)
6611 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
6612 With prefix @samp{n}, limit the summary buffer to the next @samp{n}
6613 articles. If not given a prefix, use the process marked articles
6614 instead. (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}).
6617 @kindex / w (Summary)
6618 @findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
6619 Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
6620 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
6624 @kindex / . (Summary)
6625 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen
6626 Limit the summary buffer to the unseen articles
6627 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen}).
6630 @kindex / v (Summary)
6631 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
6632 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
6633 score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
6636 @kindex / p (Summary)
6637 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate
6638 Limit the summary buffer to articles that satisfy the @code{display}
6639 group parameter predicate
6640 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate}). @xref{Group
6641 Parameters}, for more on this predicate.
6644 @kindex / r (Summary)
6645 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-replied
6646 Limit the summary buffer to replied articles
6647 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-replied}). If given a prefix, exclude
6652 @kindex M S (Summary)
6653 @kindex / E (Summary)
6654 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
6655 Include all expunged articles in the limit
6656 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
6659 @kindex / D (Summary)
6660 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
6661 Include all dormant articles in the limit
6662 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
6665 @kindex / * (Summary)
6666 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-cached
6667 Include all cached articles in the limit
6668 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}).
6671 @kindex / d (Summary)
6672 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
6673 Exclude all dormant articles from the limit
6674 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
6677 @kindex / M (Summary)
6678 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks
6679 Exclude all marked articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks}).
6682 @kindex / T (Summary)
6683 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-thread
6684 Include all the articles in the current thread in the limit.
6687 @kindex / c (Summary)
6688 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
6689 Exclude all dormant articles that have no children from the limit@*
6690 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
6693 @kindex / C (Summary)
6694 @findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
6695 Mark all excluded unread articles as read
6696 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
6697 also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
6700 @kindex / N (Summary)
6701 @findex gnus-summary-insert-new-articles
6702 Insert all new articles in the summary buffer. It scans for new emails
6703 if @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} is non-@code{nil}.
6706 @kindex / o (Summary)
6707 @findex gnus-summary-insert-old-articles
6708 Insert all old articles in the summary buffer. If given a numbered
6709 prefix, fetch this number of articles.
6712 @kindex / b (Summary)
6713 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-bodies
6714 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have bodies that match a
6715 certain regexp (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-bodies}). If given a
6716 prefix, reverse the limit. This command is quite slow since it
6717 requires selecting each article to find the matches.
6720 @kindex / h (Summary)
6721 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-headers
6722 Like the previous command, only limit to headers instead
6723 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-headers}).
6731 @cindex article threading
6733 Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put responses
6734 to articles directly after the articles they respond to---in a
6735 hierarchical fashion.
6737 Threading is done by looking at the @code{References} headers of the
6738 articles. In a perfect world, this would be enough to build pretty
6739 trees, but unfortunately, the @code{References} header is often broken
6740 or simply missing. Weird news propagation exacerbates the problem,
6741 so one has to employ other heuristics to get pleasing results. A
6742 plethora of approaches exists, as detailed in horrible detail in
6743 @ref{Customizing Threading}.
6745 First, a quick overview of the concepts:
6749 The top-most article in a thread; the first article in the thread.
6752 A tree-like article structure.
6755 A small(er) section of this tree-like structure.
6758 Threads often lose their roots due to article expiry, or due to the root
6759 already having been read in a previous session, and not displayed in the
6760 summary buffer. We then typically have many sub-threads that really
6761 belong to one thread, but are without connecting roots. These are
6762 called loose threads.
6764 @item thread gathering
6765 An attempt to gather loose threads into bigger threads.
6767 @item sparse threads
6768 A thread where the missing articles have been ``guessed'' at, and are
6769 displayed as empty lines in the summary buffer.
6775 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
6776 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
6780 @node Customizing Threading
6781 @subsection Customizing Threading
6782 @cindex customizing threading
6785 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
6786 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
6787 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
6788 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over@dots{} but you were wrong!
6793 @subsubsection Loose Threads
6796 @cindex loose threads
6799 @item gnus-summary-make-false-root
6800 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
6801 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
6802 and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
6803 Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
6804 read or killed the root in a previous session.
6806 When there is no real root of a thread, Gnus will have to fudge
6807 something. This variable says what fudging method Gnus should use.
6808 There are four possible values:
6812 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{390}{
6813 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-adopt,width=7.5cm}}
6814 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-empty,width=7.5cm}}}
6815 \put(0,400){\makebox(0,0)[tl]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-none,width=7.5cm}}}
6816 \put(445,400){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-dummy,width=7.5cm}}}
6821 @cindex adopting articles
6826 Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
6827 parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
6828 marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
6829 square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
6832 @vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
6833 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root-always
6834 Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
6835 parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
6836 selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
6837 article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
6838 format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
6839 which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
6840 If you want all threads to have a dummy root, even the non-gathered
6841 ones, set @code{gnus-summary-make-false-root-always} to @code{t}.
6844 Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
6845 subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
6846 use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
6850 Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
6851 display them after one another.
6854 Don't gather loose threads.
6857 @item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6858 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6859 Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
6860 variable is @code{nil}, Gnus requires an exact match between the
6861 subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
6862 super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
6863 presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subject lines. If
6864 you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
6865 first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
6866 variable to a really low number, you'll find that Gnus will gather
6867 everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
6869 @cindex fuzzy article gathering
6870 If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, Gnus will
6871 use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects (@pxref{Fuzzy
6874 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6875 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6876 This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
6877 that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
6878 simplification is used.
6880 @item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6881 @vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6882 If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
6883 as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
6885 @c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
6887 (setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6893 "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
6894 "help" "query" "problem" "question"
6895 "answer" "reference" "announce"
6896 "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
6901 (mapconcat 'identity
6902 '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
6904 "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
6907 All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
6910 @item gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6911 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6912 If non-@code{nil}, this variable overrides
6913 @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}. This variable should be a
6914 list of functions to apply to the @code{Subject} string iteratively to
6915 arrive at the simplified version of the string.
6917 Useful functions to put in this list include:
6920 @item gnus-simplify-subject-re
6921 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-re
6922 Strip the leading @samp{Re:}.
6924 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6925 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6928 @item gnus-simplify-whitespace
6929 @findex gnus-simplify-whitespace
6930 Remove excessive whitespace.
6932 @item gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
6933 @findex gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
6934 Remove all whitespace.
6937 You may also write your own functions, of course.
6940 @item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6941 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6942 Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
6943 to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
6944 @samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
6945 you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
6946 what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process.@*
6947 The default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
6949 @item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6950 @vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6951 Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
6952 that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
6953 is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
6954 @code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
6955 This will ensure that no gathered threads ever include unrelated
6956 articles, but it also means that people who have posted with broken
6957 newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
6961 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6962 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6963 This function is the default gathering function and looks at
6964 @code{Subject}s exclusively.
6966 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6967 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6968 This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
6971 If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
6975 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6976 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
6982 @node Filling In Threads
6983 @subsubsection Filling In Threads
6986 @item gnus-fetch-old-headers
6987 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
6988 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
6989 more old headers---headers to articles marked as read. If you would
6990 like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still connect as
6991 many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable to
6992 @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than that
6993 number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case, fetching
6994 old headers only works if the back end you are using carries overview
6995 files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool},
6996 @code{nnml}, and @code{nnmaildir}. Also remember that if the root of
6997 the thread has been expired by the server, there's not much Gnus can
7000 This variable can also be set to @code{invisible}. This won't have any
7001 visible effects, but is useful if you use the @kbd{A T} command a lot
7002 (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
7004 @item gnus-fetch-old-ephemeral-headers
7005 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-ephemeral-headers
7006 Same as @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}, but only used for ephemeral
7009 @item gnus-build-sparse-threads
7010 @vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
7011 Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
7012 gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
7013 the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
7014 together articles that belong in the same thread. This will leave
7015 @dfn{gaps} in the threading display where Gnus guesses that an article
7016 is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
7017 lines. If you select a gap, Gnus will try to fetch the article in
7018 question.) If this variable is @code{t}, Gnus will display all these
7019 ``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
7020 thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, Gnus won't cut
7021 off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
7022 @code{nil} by default.
7024 @item gnus-read-all-available-headers
7025 @vindex gnus-read-all-available-headers
7026 This is a rather obscure variable that few will find useful. It's
7027 intended for those non-news newsgroups where the back end has to fetch
7028 quite a lot to present the summary buffer, and where it's impossible to
7029 go back to parents of articles. This is mostly the case in the
7030 web-based groups, like the @code{nnultimate} groups.
7032 If you don't use those, then it's safe to leave this as the default
7033 @code{nil}. If you want to use this variable, it should be a regexp
7034 that matches the group name, or @code{t} for all groups.
7039 @node More Threading
7040 @subsubsection More Threading
7043 @item gnus-show-threads
7044 @vindex gnus-show-threads
7045 If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
7046 the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
7047 off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
7048 slower and more awkward.
7050 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
7051 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
7052 If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
7055 This can also be a predicate specifier (@pxref{Predicate Specifiers}).
7056 Available predicates are @code{gnus-article-unread-p} and
7057 @code{gnus-article-unseen-p}.
7062 (setq gnus-thread-hide-subtree
7063 '(or gnus-article-unread-p
7064 gnus-article-unseen-p))
7067 (It's a pretty nonsensical example, since all unseen articles are also
7068 unread, but you get my drift.)
7071 @item gnus-thread-expunge-below
7072 @vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
7073 All threads that have a total score (as defined by
7074 @code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be
7075 expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
7076 threads are expunged.
7078 @item gnus-thread-hide-killed
7079 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
7080 if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
7083 @item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
7084 @vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
7085 Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
7086 this variable is non-@code{nil}, which is the default, the subject
7087 change is ignored. If it is @code{nil}, a change in the subject will
7088 result in a new thread.
7090 @item gnus-thread-indent-level
7091 @vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
7092 This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
7095 @item gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
7096 @vindex gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
7097 Sometimes, particularly with mailing lists, the order in which mails
7098 arrive locally is not necessarily the same as the order in which they
7099 arrived on the mailing list. Consequently, when sorting sub-threads
7100 using the default @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number}, responses can end
7101 up appearing before the article to which they are responding to.
7102 Setting this variable to an alternate value
7103 (e.g. @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}), in a group's parameters or in an
7104 appropriate hook (e.g. @code{gnus-summary-generate-hook}) can produce a
7105 more logical sub-thread ordering in such instances.
7110 @node Low-Level Threading
7111 @subsubsection Low-Level Threading
7115 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
7116 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
7117 Hook run before parsing any headers.
7119 @item gnus-alter-header-function
7120 @vindex gnus-alter-header-function
7121 If non-@code{nil}, this function will be called to allow alteration of
7122 article header structures. The function is called with one parameter,
7123 the article header vector, which it may alter in any way. For instance,
7124 if you have a mail-to-news gateway which alters the @code{Message-ID}s
7125 in systematic ways (by adding prefixes and such), you can use this
7126 variable to un-scramble the @code{Message-ID}s so that they are more
7127 meaningful. Here's one example:
7130 (setq gnus-alter-header-function 'my-alter-message-id)
7132 (defun my-alter-message-id (header)
7133 (let ((id (mail-header-id header)))
7135 "\\(<[^<>@@]*\\)\\.?cygnus\\..*@@\\([^<>@@]*>\\)" id)
7137 (concat (match-string 1 id) "@@" (match-string 2 id))
7144 @node Thread Commands
7145 @subsection Thread Commands
7146 @cindex thread commands
7152 @kindex T k (Summary)
7153 @kindex C-M-k (Summary)
7154 @findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
7155 Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
7156 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
7157 remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
7162 @kindex T l (Summary)
7163 @kindex C-M-l (Summary)
7164 @findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
7165 Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
7166 (@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
7169 @kindex T i (Summary)
7170 @findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
7171 Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread
7172 (@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
7175 @kindex T # (Summary)
7176 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
7177 Set the process mark on the current (sub-)thread
7178 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
7181 @kindex T M-# (Summary)
7182 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
7183 Remove the process mark from the current (sub-)thread
7184 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
7187 @kindex T T (Summary)
7188 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
7189 Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
7192 @kindex T s (Summary)
7193 @findex gnus-summary-show-thread
7194 Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any@*
7195 (@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
7198 @kindex T h (Summary)
7199 @findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
7200 Hide the current (sub-)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
7203 @kindex T S (Summary)
7204 @findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
7205 Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
7208 @kindex T H (Summary)
7209 @findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
7210 Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
7213 @kindex T t (Summary)
7214 @findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
7215 Re-thread the current article's thread
7216 (@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
7217 summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
7220 @kindex T ^ (Summary)
7221 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
7222 Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
7223 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}).
7226 @kindex T M-^ (Summary)
7227 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-children
7228 Make the current article the parent of the marked articles
7229 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-children}).
7233 The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
7234 understand the numeric prefix.
7239 @kindex T n (Summary)
7241 @kindex C-M-n (Summary)
7243 @kindex M-down (Summary)
7244 @findex gnus-summary-next-thread
7245 Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
7248 @kindex T p (Summary)
7250 @kindex C-M-p (Summary)
7252 @kindex M-up (Summary)
7253 @findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
7254 Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
7257 @kindex T d (Summary)
7258 @findex gnus-summary-down-thread
7259 Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
7262 @kindex T u (Summary)
7263 @findex gnus-summary-up-thread
7264 Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
7267 @kindex T o (Summary)
7268 @findex gnus-summary-top-thread
7269 Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
7272 @vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
7273 If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
7274 threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
7275 a command like @kbd{T k} (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
7276 wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
7277 have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
7278 you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If it
7279 is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
7280 when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
7281 the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
7282 operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
7283 that have subjects fuzzily equal will be included (@pxref{Fuzzy
7287 @node Sorting the Summary Buffer
7288 @section Sorting the Summary Buffer
7290 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
7291 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
7292 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
7293 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
7294 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
7295 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-recipient
7296 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
7297 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-random
7298 @vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
7299 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number
7300 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date
7301 If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
7302 setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which can be either a single
7303 function, a list of functions, or a list containing functions and
7304 @code{(not some-function)} elements.
7306 By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
7307 predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
7308 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-recipient},
7309 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
7310 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date},
7311 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score},
7312 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number},
7313 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date},
7314 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-random} and
7315 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
7317 Each function takes two threads and returns non-@code{nil} if the first
7318 thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
7319 normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread.
7321 If you use more than one function, the primary sort key should be the
7322 last function in the list. You should probably always include
7323 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
7324 functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
7325 equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
7326 ascending article order.
7328 If you would like to sort by reverse score, then by subject, and finally
7329 by number, you could do something like:
7332 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
7333 '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
7334 gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
7335 (not gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score)))
7338 The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
7339 summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
7340 alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
7341 subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
7342 which the articles arrived.
7344 If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
7348 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
7349 '((not gnus-thread-sort-by-number)
7350 gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
7353 @vindex gnus-thread-score-function
7354 The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
7355 @code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
7356 functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
7359 @findex gnus-article-sort-functions
7360 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
7361 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
7362 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
7363 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
7364 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-random
7365 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
7366 If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or
7367 other, you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions}
7368 variable. It is very similar to the
7369 @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that it uses slightly
7370 different functions for article comparison. Available sorting
7371 predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
7372 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-author},
7373 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-date},
7374 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-random}, and
7375 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
7377 If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
7381 (setq gnus-article-sort-functions
7382 '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
7383 gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
7386 You can define group specific sorting via @code{gnus-parameters},
7387 @xref{Group Parameters}.
7390 @node Asynchronous Fetching
7391 @section Asynchronous Article Fetching
7392 @cindex asynchronous article fetching
7393 @cindex article pre-fetch
7396 If you read your news from an @acronym{NNTP} server that's far away, the
7397 network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
7398 for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
7399 article appears. Why can't Gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
7400 while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
7402 First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
7403 article fetching, especially the way Gnus does it.
7405 Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
7406 quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
7407 know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
7408 article 3, but since Gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
7409 connection is blocked.
7411 To avoid these situations, Gnus will open two (count 'em two)
7412 connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
7413 thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
7414 extra connection takes some time, so Gnus startup will be slower.
7416 Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
7417 the link between your machine and the @acronym{NNTP} server will become more
7418 loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
7419 also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
7422 Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing@dots{} unless
7425 @vindex gnus-asynchronous
7426 Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
7427 happen automatically.
7429 @vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
7430 You can control how many articles are to be pre-fetched by setting
7431 @code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
7432 that when you read an article in the group, the back end will pre-fetch
7433 the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the back end will
7434 pre-fetch all the articles it can without bound. If it is
7435 @code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be done.
7437 @vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p
7438 @findex gnus-async-unread-p
7439 There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read
7440 articles, for instance. The @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p}
7441 variable controls whether an article is to be pre-fetched. This
7442 function should return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is
7443 to be pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-unread-p}, which
7444 returns @code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an
7445 article data structure as the only parameter.
7447 If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter
7448 than 100 lines, you could say something like:
7451 (defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
7452 "Return non-nil for short, unread articles."
7453 (and (gnus-data-unread-p data)
7454 (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data))
7457 (setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p)
7460 These functions will be called many, many times, so they should
7461 preferably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down Gnus too much.
7462 It's probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this.
7464 @vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
7465 Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
7466 @code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
7467 articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
7471 Remove articles when they are read.
7474 Remove articles when exiting the group.
7477 The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
7479 @c @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
7480 @c If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
7481 @c from the next group.
7484 @node Article Caching
7485 @section Article Caching
7486 @cindex article caching
7489 If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @acronym{NNTP} connection, you may
7490 consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
7491 locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
7492 potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
7493 your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
7495 Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
7497 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
7498 @vindex gnus-cache-directory
7499 @vindex gnus-use-cache
7500 To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
7501 all articles ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
7502 over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
7503 cache is flat or hierarchical is controlled by the
7504 @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
7506 When re-selecting a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
7507 cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
7508 expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
7509 keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
7510 as dormant, and don't worry.
7512 When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
7514 @vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
7515 @vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
7516 The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
7517 @code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
7518 variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
7519 dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
7520 put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
7521 articles marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
7522 symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
7523 @code{unread} and @code{read}.
7525 @findex gnus-jog-cache
7526 So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
7527 picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
7528 subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, score them, and
7529 store them in the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this
7530 command if 1) your connection to the @acronym{NNTP} server is really, really,
7531 really slow and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk.
7532 Seriously. One way to cut down on the number of articles downloaded is
7533 to score unwanted articles down and have them marked as read. They will
7534 not then be downloaded by this command.
7536 @vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
7537 @vindex gnus-cacheable-groups
7538 It is likely that you do not want caching on all groups. For instance,
7539 if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
7540 sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
7541 feel that it's neat to use twice as much space.
7543 To limit the caching, you could set @code{gnus-cacheable-groups} to a
7544 regexp of groups to cache, @samp{^nntp} for instance, or set the
7545 @code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to @samp{^nnml}, for instance.
7546 Both variables are @code{nil} by default. If a group matches both
7547 variables, the group is not cached.
7549 @findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
7550 @findex gnus-cache-generate-active
7551 @vindex gnus-cache-active-file
7552 The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
7553 file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
7554 of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, Gnus
7555 offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
7556 gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @acronym{NOV}
7557 files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
7560 @findex gnus-cache-move-cache
7561 @code{gnus-cache-move-cache} will move your whole
7562 @code{gnus-cache-directory} to some other location. You get asked to
7563 where, isn't that cool?
7565 @node Persistent Articles
7566 @section Persistent Articles
7567 @cindex persistent articles
7569 Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
7570 In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
7571 useful in my opinion.
7573 Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
7574 that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
7575 (using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
7576 that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
7577 the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
7578 the expiry going on at the news server.
7580 This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
7581 be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
7582 you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
7588 @findex gnus-cache-enter-article
7589 Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
7592 @kindex M-* (Summary)
7593 @findex gnus-cache-remove-article
7594 Remove the current article from the persistent articles
7595 (@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
7599 Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
7601 To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
7602 you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
7603 interested in persistent articles:
7606 (setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
7609 @node Sticky Articles
7610 @section Sticky Articles
7611 @cindex sticky articles
7613 When you select an article the current article buffer will be reused
7614 according to the value of the variable
7615 @code{gnus-single-article-buffer}. If its value is non-@code{nil} (the
7616 default) all articles reuse the same article buffer. Else each group
7617 has its own article buffer.
7619 This implies that it's not possible to have more than one article buffer
7620 in a group at a time. But sometimes you might want to display all the
7621 latest emails from your mother, your father, your aunt, your uncle and
7622 your 17 cousins to coordinate the next christmas party.
7624 That's where sticky articles come in handy. A sticky article buffer
7625 basically is a normal article buffer, but it won't be reused when you
7626 select another article. You can make an article sticky with:
7630 @kindex A S (Summary)
7631 @findex gnus-sticky-article
7632 Make the current article sticky. If a prefix arg is given, ask for a
7633 name for this sticky article buffer.
7636 To close a sticky article buffer you can use these commands:
7642 Puts this sticky article buffer at the end of the list of all buffers.
7646 @findex gnus-kill-sticky-article-buffer
7647 Kills this sticky article buffer.
7650 To kill all sticky article buffers you can use:
7652 @defun gnus-kill-sticky-article-buffers ARG
7653 Kill all sticky article buffers.
7654 If a prefix ARG is given, ask for confirmation.
7657 @node Article Backlog
7658 @section Article Backlog
7660 @cindex article backlog
7662 If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
7663 unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
7664 by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where Gnus will buffer
7665 already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
7666 you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
7667 re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
7668 that, turning the backlog on will slow Gnus down a little bit, and
7669 increase memory usage some.
7671 @vindex gnus-keep-backlog
7672 If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, Gnus will store
7673 at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
7674 variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, Gnus will store
7675 @emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
7676 bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
7677 that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
7679 The default value is 20.
7682 @node Saving Articles
7683 @section Saving Articles
7684 @cindex saving articles
7686 Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
7687 for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
7688 processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
7689 approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
7690 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
7692 For the commands listed here, the target is a file. If you want to
7693 save to a group, see the @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article})
7694 command (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
7696 @vindex gnus-save-all-headers
7697 If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will not delete
7698 unwanted headers before saving the article.
7700 @vindex gnus-saved-headers
7701 If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
7702 @code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
7703 deleted before saving.
7709 @kindex O o (Summary)
7711 @findex gnus-summary-save-article
7712 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article}
7713 Save the current article using the default article saver
7714 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
7717 @kindex O m (Summary)
7718 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
7719 Save the current article in a Unix mail box (mbox) file
7720 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
7723 @kindex O r (Summary)
7724 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
7725 Save the current article in Rmail format
7726 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}).
7729 @kindex O f (Summary)
7730 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
7731 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article-file}
7732 Save the current article in plain file format
7733 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
7736 @kindex O F (Summary)
7737 @findex gnus-summary-write-article-file
7738 Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous
7739 file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-article-file}).
7742 @kindex O b (Summary)
7743 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
7744 Save the current article body in plain file format
7745 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
7748 @kindex O h (Summary)
7749 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
7750 Save the current article in mh folder format
7751 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
7754 @kindex O v (Summary)
7755 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
7756 Save the current article in a VM folder
7757 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
7761 @kindex O p (Summary)
7763 @findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
7764 Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
7765 the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
7766 If given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), include the
7767 complete headers in the piped output.
7770 @kindex O P (Summary)
7771 @findex gnus-summary-muttprint
7772 @vindex gnus-summary-muttprint-program
7773 Save the current article into muttprint. That is, print it using the
7774 external program @uref{http://muttprint.sourceforge.net/,
7775 Muttprint}. The program name and options to use is controlled by the
7776 variable @code{gnus-summary-muttprint-program}.
7777 (@code{gnus-summary-muttprint}).
7781 @vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
7782 All these commands use the process/prefix convention
7783 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
7784 functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
7785 and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
7786 the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
7787 default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
7788 loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
7789 just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
7790 have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
7791 to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
7792 save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
7796 @vindex gnus-default-article-saver
7797 You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
7798 Gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the eight ready-made
7799 functions below, or you can create your own.
7803 @item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7804 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7805 @vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
7806 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7807 This is the default format, @dfn{Babyl}. Uses the function in the
7808 @code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7809 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7811 @item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7812 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7813 @vindex gnus-mail-save-name
7814 Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
7815 @code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7816 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7818 @item gnus-summary-save-in-file
7819 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
7820 @vindex gnus-file-save-name
7821 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7822 Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
7823 the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7824 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7826 @item gnus-summary-write-to-file
7827 @findex gnus-summary-write-to-file
7828 Write the article straight to an ordinary file. The file is
7829 overwritten if it exists. Uses the function in the
7830 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7831 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7833 @item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7834 @findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7835 Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
7836 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7837 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7839 @item gnus-summary-write-body-to-file
7840 @findex gnus-summary-write-body-to-file
7841 Write the article body straight to an ordinary file. The file is
7842 overwritten if it exists. Uses the function in the
7843 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7844 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7846 @item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7847 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7848 @findex gnus-folder-save-name
7849 @findex gnus-Folder-save-name
7850 @vindex gnus-folder-save-name
7853 Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
7854 library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
7855 to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
7856 @code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
7857 @code{gnus-Folder-save-name}, which creates capitalized names.
7859 @item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7860 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7861 Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
7862 reader to use this setting.
7865 The symbol of each function may have the following properties:
7869 The value non-@code{nil} means save decoded articles. This is
7870 meaningful only with @code{gnus-summary-save-in-file},
7871 @code{gnus-summary-save-body-in-file},
7872 @code{gnus-summary-write-to-file}, and
7873 @code{gnus-summary-write-body-to-file}.
7876 The value specifies an alternative function which appends, not
7877 overwrites, articles to a file. This implies that when saving many
7878 articles at a time, @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} is bound to
7879 @code{t} and all articles are saved in a single file. This is
7880 meaningful only with @code{gnus-summary-write-to-file} and
7881 @code{gnus-summary-write-body-to-file}.
7884 The value specifies the symbol of a variable of which the value
7885 specifies headers to be saved. If it is omitted,
7886 @code{gnus-save-all-headers} and @code{gnus-saved-headers} control what
7887 headers should be saved.
7890 @vindex gnus-article-save-directory
7891 All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
7892 in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
7893 @env{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
7896 As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
7897 suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
7898 available functions that generate names:
7902 @item gnus-Numeric-save-name
7903 @findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
7904 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7906 @item gnus-numeric-save-name
7907 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7908 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7910 @item gnus-Plain-save-name
7911 @findex gnus-Plain-save-name
7912 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7914 @item gnus-plain-save-name
7915 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7916 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7918 @item gnus-sender-save-name
7919 @findex gnus-sender-save-name
7920 File names like @file{~/News/larsi}.
7923 @vindex gnus-split-methods
7924 You can have Gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
7925 the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
7926 save articles related to Gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
7927 related to VM in @file{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
7931 (("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
7932 ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
7933 (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
7934 ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
7937 We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
7938 elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
7939 a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
7940 head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
7941 group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
7942 @code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
7943 the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
7944 result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
7945 called returns a string or a list of strings.
7947 You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
7948 saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
7949 then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
7950 name completion over the results from applying this variable.
7952 This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
7953 means that Gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
7954 @code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
7957 Here's an example function to clean up file names somewhat. If you have
7958 lots of mail groups called things like
7959 @samp{nnml:mail.whatever}, you may want to chop off the beginning of
7960 these group names before creating the file name to save to. The
7961 following will do just that:
7964 (defun my-save-name (group)
7965 (when (string-match "^nnml:mail." group)
7966 (substring group (match-end 0))))
7968 (setq gnus-split-methods
7969 '((gnus-article-archive-name)
7974 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
7975 Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
7976 @code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
7977 (@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
7978 the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
7979 all the files in the top level directory
7980 (@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
7981 @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
7982 on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
7983 Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
7985 This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
7986 is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
7987 names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
7988 @code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
7989 contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
7992 If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
7996 (setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; @r{to get a hierarchy}
7997 (setq gnus-default-article-saver
7998 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; @r{no encoding}
8001 Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
8002 ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
8003 the top level directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
8004 around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
8007 @node Decoding Articles
8008 @section Decoding Articles
8009 @cindex decoding articles
8011 Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
8012 encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
8015 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
8016 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
8017 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
8018 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
8019 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
8020 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
8024 @cindex article series
8025 All these functions use the process/prefix convention
8026 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
8027 the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
8028 can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
8029 articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
8031 Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
8032 simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
8033 last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
8035 For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, Gnus
8036 will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
8037 ([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
8039 Subjects that are non-standard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
8040 series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
8041 commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
8044 @node Uuencoded Articles
8045 @subsection Uuencoded Articles
8047 @cindex uuencoded articles
8052 @kindex X u (Summary)
8053 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
8054 @c @icon{gnus-uu-decode-uu}
8055 Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
8058 @kindex X U (Summary)
8059 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
8060 Uudecodes and saves the current series
8061 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
8064 @kindex X v u (Summary)
8065 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
8066 Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
8069 @kindex X v U (Summary)
8070 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
8071 Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
8072 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
8076 Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
8077 the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
8078 entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
8079 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
8080 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
8082 All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
8083 @sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
8084 the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
8085 articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
8088 @vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
8089 Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
8090 @code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
8091 @samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
8092 automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
8093 you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
8097 @node Shell Archives
8098 @subsection Shell Archives
8100 @cindex shell archives
8101 @cindex shared articles
8103 Shell archives (``shar files'') used to be a popular way to distribute
8104 sources, but it isn't used all that much today. In any case, we have
8105 some commands to deal with these:
8110 @kindex X s (Summary)
8111 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
8112 Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
8115 @kindex X S (Summary)
8116 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
8117 Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
8120 @kindex X v s (Summary)
8121 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
8122 Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
8125 @kindex X v S (Summary)
8126 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
8127 Unshars, views and saves the current series
8128 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
8132 @node PostScript Files
8133 @subsection PostScript Files
8139 @kindex X p (Summary)
8140 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
8141 Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
8144 @kindex X P (Summary)
8145 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
8146 Unpack and save the current PostScript series
8147 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
8150 @kindex X v p (Summary)
8151 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
8152 View the current PostScript series
8153 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
8156 @kindex X v P (Summary)
8157 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
8158 View and save the current PostScript series
8159 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
8164 @subsection Other Files
8168 @kindex X o (Summary)
8169 @findex gnus-uu-decode-save
8170 Save the current series
8171 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-save}).
8174 @kindex X b (Summary)
8175 @findex gnus-uu-decode-binhex
8176 Unbinhex the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-binhex}). This
8177 doesn't really work yet.
8181 @node Decoding Variables
8182 @subsection Decoding Variables
8184 Adjective, not verb.
8187 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
8188 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
8189 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
8193 @node Rule Variables
8194 @subsubsection Rule Variables
8195 @cindex rule variables
8197 Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
8198 variables are of the form
8201 (list '(regexp1 command2)
8208 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
8209 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
8211 This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
8212 for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @file{.au} sound file, you could
8215 (setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
8216 (list '("\\\\.au$" "sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio")))
8219 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
8220 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
8221 This variable is consulted if Gnus couldn't make any matches from the
8222 user and default view rules.
8224 @item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
8225 @vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
8226 This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
8231 @node Other Decode Variables
8232 @subsubsection Other Decode Variables
8235 @vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
8237 @item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
8238 All functions in this list will be called right after each file has been
8239 successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
8240 and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
8241 anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
8245 @item gnus-uu-grab-view
8246 @findex gnus-uu-grab-view
8249 @item gnus-uu-grab-move
8250 @findex gnus-uu-grab-move
8251 Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
8254 @item gnus-uu-be-dangerous
8255 @vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous
8256 Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If
8257 @code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things
8258 that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each
8261 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
8262 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
8263 Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
8265 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
8266 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
8267 Files with a @acronym{MIME} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
8268 Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
8269 @code{gnus-uu} is not a @acronym{MIME} package (yet), so this is slightly
8272 @item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
8273 @vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
8274 Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
8276 @item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
8277 @vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
8278 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
8279 looking for files to display.
8281 @item gnus-uu-view-and-save
8282 @vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
8283 Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
8286 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
8287 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
8288 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
8291 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
8292 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
8293 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
8296 @item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
8297 @vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
8298 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
8301 @item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
8302 @vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
8303 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark unsuccessfully
8304 decoded articles as unread.
8306 @item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
8307 @vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
8308 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
8309 uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
8311 @item gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
8312 @vindex gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
8313 Hook run before sending a message to @code{uudecode}.
8315 @item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
8316 @vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
8318 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
8319 commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @acronym{MIME}
8320 content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
8321 @code{metamail} for viewing.
8323 @item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
8324 @vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
8325 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
8326 decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
8327 @code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
8328 embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC 1153---no easy way
8329 to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
8330 simply dropped them.
8335 @node Uuencoding and Posting
8336 @subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
8340 @item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
8341 @vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
8342 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
8343 before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
8344 either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
8345 for you when you post the article.
8347 @item gnus-uu-post-length
8348 @vindex gnus-uu-post-length
8349 Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
8350 many articles it takes to post the entire file.
8352 @item gnus-uu-post-threaded
8353 @vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
8354 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
8355 thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen is able
8356 to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
8357 seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
8358 think that counts@dots{}) Default is @code{nil}.
8360 @item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
8361 @vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
8362 Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
8363 article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
8364 variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
8365 at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
8366 Default is @code{t}.
8372 @subsection Viewing Files
8373 @cindex viewing files
8374 @cindex pseudo-articles
8376 After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, Gnus will attempt
8377 to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
8378 viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
8379 containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, Gnus will
8380 uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
8381 This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
8382 of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
8384 Finally, Gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
8385 extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
8386 ``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
8387 will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
8389 @vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
8390 If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
8391 until the viewing is done before proceeding.
8393 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos
8394 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
8395 the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
8396 immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
8397 be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
8399 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
8400 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
8401 pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
8402 @code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
8403 a list of parameters to that command.
8405 @vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
8406 If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
8407 pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
8409 So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
8410 @emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
8411 Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
8414 @node Article Treatment
8415 @section Article Treatment
8417 Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
8418 object of newsreaders is to actually, like, read what people have
8419 written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
8420 writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
8421 these articles easier.
8424 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
8425 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
8426 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
8427 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
8428 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
8429 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
8430 * Article Button Levels:: Controlling appearance of buttons.
8431 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
8432 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
8433 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
8434 * Article Miscellanea:: Various other stuff.
8438 @node Article Highlighting
8439 @subsection Article Highlighting
8440 @cindex highlighting
8442 Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
8443 you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
8448 @kindex W H a (Summary)
8449 @findex gnus-article-highlight
8450 @findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
8451 Do much highlighting of the current article
8452 (@code{gnus-article-highlight}). This function highlights header, cited
8453 text, the signature, and adds buttons to the body and the head.
8456 @kindex W H h (Summary)
8457 @findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
8458 @vindex gnus-header-face-alist
8459 Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
8460 highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
8461 variable, which is a list where each element has the form
8462 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{name} @var{content})}.
8463 @var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
8464 header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name
8465 (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}) and @var{content} is the face for highlighting
8466 the header value. The first match made will be used. Note that
8467 @var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^} prepended---Gnus will add one.
8470 @kindex W H c (Summary)
8471 @findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
8472 Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
8474 Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
8477 @vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
8479 @item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
8480 If the article size in bytes is bigger than this variable (which is
8481 25000 by default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
8483 @item gnus-cite-max-prefix
8484 @vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
8485 Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
8487 @item gnus-cite-face-list
8488 @vindex gnus-cite-face-list
8489 List of faces used for highlighting citations (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}).
8490 When there are citations from multiple articles in the same message,
8491 Gnus will try to give each citation from each article its own face.
8492 This should make it easier to see who wrote what.
8494 @item gnus-supercite-regexp
8495 @vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
8496 Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
8498 @item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
8499 @vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
8500 Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
8502 @item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
8503 @vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
8504 Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
8505 that it's a citation.
8507 @item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
8508 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
8509 Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
8511 @item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
8512 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
8513 Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
8515 @item gnus-cite-attribution-face
8516 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
8517 Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
8518 cited text belonging to the attribution.
8520 @item gnus-cite-ignore-quoted-from
8521 @vindex gnus-cite-ignore-quoted-from
8522 If non-@code{nil}, no citation highlighting will be performed on lines
8523 beginning with @samp{>From }. Those lines may have been quoted by MTAs
8524 in order not to mix up with the envelope From line. The default value
8531 @kindex W H s (Summary)
8532 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
8533 @vindex gnus-signature-face
8534 @findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
8535 Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
8536 Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
8537 Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
8538 highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
8543 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to highlight articles automatically.
8546 @node Article Fontisizing
8547 @subsection Article Fontisizing
8549 @cindex article emphasis
8551 @findex gnus-article-emphasize
8552 @kindex W e (Summary)
8553 People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things
8554 like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*} or @samp{/this/}. Gnus can make
8555 this look nicer by running the article through the @kbd{W e}
8556 (@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command.
8558 @vindex gnus-emphasis-alist
8559 How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the
8560 @code{gnus-emphasis-alist} variable. This is an alist where the first
8561 element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number
8562 that says what regular expression grouping is used to find the entire
8563 emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping
8564 should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two
8565 groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for
8569 (setq gnus-emphasis-alist
8570 '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline)
8571 ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold)))
8580 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline
8581 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold
8582 @vindex gnus-emphasis-italic
8583 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold
8584 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic
8585 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic
8586 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic
8587 By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces:
8588 @code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic},
8589 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic},
8590 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic},
8591 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold}, and
8592 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}.
8594 If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x
8595 customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want
8596 to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could
8600 (copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic)
8603 @vindex gnus-group-highlight-words-alist
8605 If you want to highlight arbitrary words, you can use the
8606 @code{gnus-group-highlight-words-alist} variable, which uses the same
8607 syntax as @code{gnus-emphasis-alist}. The @code{highlight-words} group
8608 parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) can also be used.
8610 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to fontize articles automatically.
8613 @node Article Hiding
8614 @subsection Article Hiding
8615 @cindex article hiding
8617 Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
8618 too much cruft in most articles.
8623 @kindex W W a (Summary)
8624 @findex gnus-article-hide
8625 Do quite a lot of hiding on the article buffer
8626 (@kbd{gnus-article-hide}). In particular, this function will hide
8627 headers, @acronym{PGP}, cited text and the signature.
8630 @kindex W W h (Summary)
8631 @findex gnus-article-hide-headers
8632 Hide headers (@code{gnus-article-hide-headers}). @xref{Hiding
8636 @kindex W W b (Summary)
8637 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
8638 Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
8639 (@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
8642 @kindex W W s (Summary)
8643 @findex gnus-article-hide-signature
8644 Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
8648 @kindex W W l (Summary)
8649 @findex gnus-article-hide-list-identifiers
8650 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
8651 Strip list identifiers specified in @code{gnus-list-identifiers}. These
8652 are strings some mailing list servers add to the beginning of all
8653 @code{Subject} headers---for example, @samp{[zebra 4711]}. Any leading
8654 @samp{Re: } is skipped before stripping. @code{gnus-list-identifiers}
8655 may not contain @code{\\(..\\)}.
8659 @item gnus-list-identifiers
8660 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
8661 A regular expression that matches list identifiers to be removed from
8662 subject. This can also be a list of regular expressions.
8667 @kindex W W P (Summary)
8668 @findex gnus-article-hide-pem
8669 Hide @acronym{PEM} (privacy enhanced messages) cruft
8670 (@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
8673 @kindex W W B (Summary)
8674 @findex gnus-article-strip-banner
8675 @vindex gnus-article-banner-alist
8676 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8679 @cindex stripping advertisements
8680 @cindex advertisements
8681 Strip the banner specified by the @code{banner} group parameter
8682 (@code{gnus-article-strip-banner}). This is mainly used to hide those
8683 annoying banners and/or signatures that some mailing lists and moderated
8684 groups adds to all the messages. The way to use this function is to add
8685 the @code{banner} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to the
8686 group you want banners stripped from. The parameter either be a string,
8687 which will be interpreted as a regular expression matching text to be
8688 removed, or the symbol @code{signature}, meaning that the (last)
8689 signature should be removed, or other symbol, meaning that the
8690 corresponding regular expression in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist} is
8693 Regardless of a group, you can hide things like advertisements only when
8694 the sender of an article has a certain mail address specified in
8695 @code{gnus-article-address-banner-alist}.
8699 @item gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8700 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8701 Alist of mail addresses and banners. Each element has the form
8702 @code{(@var{address} . @var{banner})}, where @var{address} is a regexp
8703 matching a mail address in the From header, @var{banner} is one of a
8704 symbol @code{signature}, an item in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist},
8705 a regexp and @code{nil}. If @var{address} matches author's mail
8706 address, it will remove things like advertisements. For example, if a
8707 sender has the mail address @samp{hail@@yoo-hoo.co.jp} and there is a
8708 banner something like @samp{Do You Yoo-hoo!?} in all articles he
8709 sends, you can use the following element to remove them:
8712 ("@@yoo-hoo\\.co\\.jp\\'" .
8713 "\n_+\nDo You Yoo-hoo!\\?\n.*\n.*\n")
8719 @kindex W W c (Summary)
8720 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation
8721 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
8722 customizing the hiding:
8726 @item gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
8727 @itemx gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
8728 @vindex gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
8729 @vindex gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
8730 Gnus adds buttons to show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
8731 allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
8732 by these format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
8737 Starting point of the hidden text.
8739 Ending point of the hidden text.
8741 Number of characters in the hidden region.
8743 Number of lines of hidden text.
8746 @item gnus-cited-lines-visible
8747 @vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
8748 The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave
8749 shown. This can also be a cons cell with the number of lines at the top
8750 and bottom of the text, respectively, to remain visible.
8755 @kindex W W C-c (Summary)
8756 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe
8758 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe}) depending on the
8759 following two variables:
8762 @item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
8763 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
8764 If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
8765 50), hide the cited text.
8767 @item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
8768 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
8769 The cited text must have at least this length (default 10) before it
8774 @kindex W W C (Summary)
8775 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
8776 Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
8777 (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
8778 useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
8779 have happen automatically (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
8783 All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
8784 prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
8785 hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
8787 Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
8788 citation customization.
8790 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to hide article elements
8794 @node Article Washing
8795 @subsection Article Washing
8797 @cindex article washing
8799 We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
8800 @kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
8802 @dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
8803 something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
8806 @xref{Customizing Articles}, if you want to change how Gnus displays
8807 articles by default.
8812 This is not really washing, it's sort of the opposite of washing. If
8813 you type this, you see the article exactly as it exists on disk or on
8817 Force redisplaying of the current article
8818 (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). This is also not really washing.
8819 If you type this, you see the article without any previously applied
8820 interactive Washing functions but with all default treatments
8821 (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
8824 @kindex W l (Summary)
8825 @findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
8826 Remove page breaks from the current article
8827 (@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}). @xref{Misc Article}, for page
8831 @kindex W r (Summary)
8832 @findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
8833 @c @icon{gnus-summary-caesar-message}
8834 Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
8835 (@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
8836 Unreadable articles that tell you to read them with Caesar rotate or rot13.
8837 (Typically offensive jokes and such.)
8839 It's commonly called ``rot13'' because each letter is rotated 13
8840 positions in the alphabet, e. g. @samp{B} (letter #2) -> @samp{O} (letter
8841 #15). It is sometimes referred to as ``Caesar rotate'' because Caesar
8842 is rumored to have employed this form of, uh, somewhat weak encryption.
8845 @kindex W m (Summary)
8846 @findex gnus-summary-morse-message
8847 Morse decode the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-morse-message}).
8850 @kindex W i (Summary)
8851 @findex gnus-summary-idna-message
8852 Decode IDNA encoded domain names in the current articles. IDNA
8853 encoded domain names looks like @samp{xn--bar}. If a string remain
8854 unencoded after running invoking this, it is likely an invalid IDNA
8855 string (@samp{xn--bar} is invalid). You must have GNU Libidn
8856 (@url{http://www.gnu.org/software/libidn/}) installed for this command
8861 @kindex W t (Summary)
8863 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-header
8864 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
8865 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-header}).
8868 @kindex W v (Summary)
8869 @findex gnus-summary-verbose-headers
8870 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
8871 (@code{gnus-summary-verbose-headers}).
8874 @kindex W o (Summary)
8875 @findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
8876 Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
8879 @kindex W d (Summary)
8880 @findex gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes
8881 @vindex gnus-article-dumbquotes-map
8883 @cindex M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s
8885 Treat M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s according to
8886 @code{gnus-article-dumbquotes-map}
8887 (@code{gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes}). Note that this function guesses
8888 whether a character is a sm*rtq**t* or not, so it should only be used
8891 Sm*rtq**t*s are M****s***'s unilateral extension to the character map in
8892 an attempt to provide more quoting characters. If you see something
8893 like @code{\222} or @code{\264} where you're expecting some kind of
8894 apostrophe or quotation mark, then try this wash.
8897 @kindex W Y f (Summary)
8898 @findex gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article
8899 @cindex Outlook Express
8900 Full deuglify of broken Outlook (Express) articles: Treat dumbquotes,
8901 unwrap lines, repair attribution and rearrange citation.
8902 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article}).
8905 @kindex W Y u (Summary)
8906 @findex gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines
8907 @vindex gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min
8908 @vindex gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max
8909 Unwrap lines that appear to be wrapped citation lines. You can control
8910 what lines will be unwrapped by frobbing
8911 @code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min} and
8912 @code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max}, indicating the minimum and
8913 maximum length of an unwrapped citation line.
8914 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines}).
8917 @kindex W Y a (Summary)
8918 @findex gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution
8919 Repair a broken attribution line.@*
8920 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution}).
8923 @kindex W Y c (Summary)
8924 @findex gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation
8925 Repair broken citations by rearranging the text.
8926 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation}).
8929 @kindex W w (Summary)
8930 @findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
8931 Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}).
8933 You can give the command a numerical prefix to specify the width to use
8937 @kindex W Q (Summary)
8938 @findex gnus-article-fill-long-lines
8939 Fill long lines (@code{gnus-article-fill-long-lines}).
8942 @kindex W C (Summary)
8943 @findex gnus-article-capitalize-sentences
8944 Capitalize the first word in each sentence
8945 (@code{gnus-article-capitalize-sentences}).
8948 @kindex W c (Summary)
8949 @findex gnus-article-remove-cr
8950 Translate CRLF pairs (i. e., @samp{^M}s on the end of the lines) into LF
8951 (this takes care of DOS line endings), and then translate any remaining
8952 CRs into LF (this takes care of Mac line endings)
8953 (@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
8956 @kindex W q (Summary)
8957 @findex gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable
8958 Treat quoted-printable (@code{gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable}).
8959 Quoted-Printable is one common @acronym{MIME} encoding employed when
8960 sending non-@acronym{ASCII} (i.e., 8-bit) articles. It typically
8961 makes strings like @samp{d@'ej@`a vu} look like @samp{d=E9j=E0 vu},
8962 which doesn't look very readable to me. Note that this is usually
8963 done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8964 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding
8965 has been done. If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8968 @kindex W 6 (Summary)
8969 @findex gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable
8970 Treat base64 (@code{gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable}). Base64 is
8971 one common @acronym{MIME} encoding employed when sending
8972 non-@acronym{ASCII} (i.e., 8-bit) articles. Note that this is
8973 usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8974 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding
8975 has been done. If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8978 @kindex W Z (Summary)
8979 @findex gnus-article-decode-HZ
8980 Treat HZ or HZP (@code{gnus-article-decode-HZ}). HZ (or HZP) is one
8981 common encoding employed when sending Chinese articles. It typically
8982 makes strings look like @samp{~@{<:Ky2;S@{#,NpJ)l6HK!#~@}}.
8985 @kindex W A (Summary)
8986 @findex gnus-article-treat-ansi-sequences
8987 @cindex @acronym{ANSI} control sequences
8988 Translate @acronym{ANSI} SGR control sequences into overlays or
8989 extents (@code{gnus-article-treat-ansi-sequences}). @acronym{ANSI}
8990 sequences are used in some Chinese hierarchies for highlighting.
8993 @kindex W u (Summary)
8994 @findex gnus-article-unsplit-urls
8995 Remove newlines from within URLs. Some mailers insert newlines into
8996 outgoing email messages to keep lines short. This reformatting can
8997 split long URLs onto multiple lines. Repair those URLs by removing
8998 the newlines (@code{gnus-article-unsplit-urls}).
9001 @kindex W h (Summary)
9002 @findex gnus-article-wash-html
9003 Treat @acronym{HTML} (@code{gnus-article-wash-html}). Note that this is
9004 usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
9005 @code{Content-Type} header that says that the message is @acronym{HTML}.
9007 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for. If it is a number,
9008 the charset defined in @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist}
9009 (@pxref{Paging the Article}) will be used.
9011 @vindex gnus-article-wash-function
9012 The default is to use the function specified by
9013 @code{mm-text-html-renderer} (@pxref{Display Customization, ,Display
9014 Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}) to convert the
9015 @acronym{HTML}, but this is controlled by the
9016 @code{gnus-article-wash-function} variable. Pre-defined functions you
9024 Use @uref{http://emacs-w3m.namazu.org/, emacs-w3m}.
9026 @item w3m-standalone
9027 Use @uref{http://w3m.sourceforge.net/, w3m}.
9030 Use @uref{http://links.sf.net/, Links}.
9033 Use @uref{http://lynx.isc.org/, Lynx}.
9036 Use html2text---a simple @acronym{HTML} converter included with Gnus.
9041 @kindex W b (Summary)
9042 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons
9043 Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
9044 @xref{Article Buttons}.
9047 @kindex W B (Summary)
9048 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
9049 Add clickable buttons to the article headers
9050 (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
9053 @kindex W p (Summary)
9054 @findex gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig
9055 Verify a signed control message
9056 (@code{gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig}). Control messages such as
9057 @code{newgroup} and @code{checkgroups} are usually signed by the
9058 hierarchy maintainer. You need to add the @acronym{PGP} public key of
9059 the maintainer to your keyring to verify the
9060 message.@footnote{@acronym{PGP} keys for many hierarchies are
9061 available at @uref{ftp://ftp.isc.org/pub/pgpcontrol/README.html}}
9064 @kindex W s (Summary)
9065 @findex gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt
9066 Verify a signed (@acronym{PGP}, @acronym{PGP/MIME} or
9067 @acronym{S/MIME}) message
9068 (@code{gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt}). @xref{Security}.
9071 @kindex W a (Summary)
9072 @findex gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body
9073 Strip headers like the @code{X-No-Archive} header from the beginning of
9074 article bodies (@code{gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body}).
9077 @kindex W E l (Summary)
9078 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
9079 Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
9080 (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
9083 @kindex W E m (Summary)
9084 @findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
9085 Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
9086 lines with a single empty line.
9087 (@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
9090 @kindex W E t (Summary)
9091 @findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
9092 Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
9093 (@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
9096 @kindex W E a (Summary)
9097 @findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
9098 Do all the three commands above
9099 (@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
9102 @kindex W E A (Summary)
9103 @findex gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines
9104 Remove all blank lines
9105 (@code{gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines}).
9108 @kindex W E s (Summary)
9109 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-space
9110 Remove all white space from the beginning of all lines of the article
9111 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-space}).
9114 @kindex W E e (Summary)
9115 @findex gnus-article-strip-trailing-space
9116 Remove all white space from the end of all lines of the article
9117 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-trailing-space}).
9121 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to wash articles automatically.
9124 @node Article Header
9125 @subsection Article Header
9127 These commands perform various transformations of article header.
9132 @kindex W G u (Summary)
9133 @findex gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers
9134 Unfold folded header lines (@code{gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers}).
9137 @kindex W G n (Summary)
9138 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups
9139 Fold the @code{Newsgroups} and @code{Followup-To} headers
9140 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups}).
9143 @kindex W G f (Summary)
9144 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-headers
9145 Fold all the message headers
9146 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-headers}).
9149 @kindex W E w (Summary)
9150 @findex gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace
9151 Remove excessive whitespace from all headers
9152 (@code{gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace}).
9157 @node Article Buttons
9158 @subsection Article Buttons
9161 People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
9162 be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
9163 with the minimum of fuzz when you hit @kbd{RET} or use the middle mouse
9164 button on these references.
9166 @vindex gnus-button-man-handler
9167 Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
9168 Well-formed URLs, mail addresses, Message-IDs, Info links, man pages and
9169 Emacs or Gnus related references. This is controlled by two variables,
9170 one that handles article bodies and one that handles article heads:
9174 @item gnus-button-alist
9175 @vindex gnus-button-alist
9176 This is an alist where each entry has this form:
9179 (@var{regexp} @var{button-par} @var{use-p} @var{function} @var{data-par})
9185 All text that match this regular expression (case insensitive) will be
9186 considered an external reference. Here's a typical regexp that matches
9187 embedded URLs: @samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}. This can also be a
9188 variable containing a regexp, useful variables to use include
9189 @code{gnus-button-url-regexp} and @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp}.
9192 Gnus has to know which parts of the matches is to be highlighted. This
9193 is a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp is to be
9194 highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 0 here.
9197 This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
9198 this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
9199 avoid false matches. Often variables named
9200 @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} are used here, @xref{Article Button
9201 Levels}, but any other form may be used too.
9203 @c @code{use-p} is @code{eval}ed only if @code{regexp} matches.
9206 This function will be called when you click on this button.
9209 As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
9210 says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
9214 So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
9217 ("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
9220 @item gnus-header-button-alist
9221 @vindex gnus-header-button-alist
9222 This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
9223 article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
9224 used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
9227 (@var{header} @var{regexp} @var{button-par} @var{use-p} @var{function} @var{data-par})
9230 @var{header} is a regular expression.
9233 @subsubsection Related variables and functions
9236 @item gnus-button-@var{*}-level
9237 @xref{Article Button Levels}.
9239 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-browse-level
9241 @item gnus-button-url-regexp
9242 @vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
9243 A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
9244 default values of the variables above.
9246 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-man-level
9248 @item gnus-button-man-handler
9249 @vindex gnus-button-man-handler
9250 The function to use for displaying man pages. It must take at least one
9251 argument with a string naming the man page.
9253 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-message-level
9255 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp
9256 @vindex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp
9257 Regular expression that matches a message ID or a mail address.
9259 @item gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail
9260 @vindex gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail
9261 This variable determines what to do when the button on a string as
9262 @samp{foo123@@bar.invalid} is pushed. Strings like this can be either a
9263 message ID or a mail address. If it is one of the symbols @code{mid} or
9264 @code{mail}, Gnus will always assume that the string is a message ID or
9265 a mail address, respectively. If this variable is set to the symbol
9266 @code{ask}, always query the user what to do. If it is a function, this
9267 function will be called with the string as its only argument. The
9268 function must return @code{mid}, @code{mail}, @code{invalid} or
9269 @code{ask}. The default value is the function
9270 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}.
9272 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic
9273 @findex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic
9274 Function that guesses whether its argument is a message ID or a mail
9275 address. Returns @code{mid} if it's a message IDs, @code{mail} if
9276 it's a mail address, @code{ask} if unsure and @code{invalid} if the
9279 @item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist
9280 @vindex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist
9281 An alist of @code{(RATE . REGEXP)} pairs used by the function
9282 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}.
9284 @c Stuff related to gnus-button-tex-level
9286 @item gnus-button-ctan-handler
9287 @findex gnus-button-ctan-handler
9288 The function to use for displaying CTAN links. It must take one
9289 argument, the string naming the URL.
9292 @vindex gnus-ctan-url
9293 Top directory of a CTAN (Comprehensive TeX Archive Network) archive used
9294 by @code{gnus-button-ctan-handler}.
9298 @item gnus-article-button-face
9299 @vindex gnus-article-button-face
9300 Face used on buttons.
9302 @item gnus-article-mouse-face
9303 @vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
9304 Face used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
9308 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to buttonize articles automatically.
9311 @node Article Button Levels
9312 @subsection Article button levels
9313 @cindex button levels
9314 The higher the value of the variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level},
9315 the more buttons will appear. If the level is zero, no corresponding
9316 buttons are displayed. With the default value (which is 5) you should
9317 already see quite a lot of buttons. With higher levels, you will see
9318 more buttons, but you may also get more false positives. To avoid them,
9319 you can set the variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} local to
9320 specific groups (@pxref{Group Parameters}). Here's an example for the
9321 variable @code{gnus-parameters}:
9324 ;; @r{increase @code{gnus-button-*-level} in some groups:}
9325 (setq gnus-parameters
9326 '(("\\<\\(emacs\\|gnus\\)\\>" (gnus-button-emacs-level 10))
9327 ("\\<unix\\>" (gnus-button-man-level 10))
9328 ("\\<tex\\>" (gnus-button-tex-level 10))))
9333 @item gnus-button-browse-level
9334 @vindex gnus-button-browse-level
9335 Controls the display of references to message IDs, mail addresses and
9336 news URLs. Related variables and functions include
9337 @code{gnus-button-url-regexp}, @code{browse-url}, and
9338 @code{browse-url-browser-function}.
9340 @item gnus-button-emacs-level
9341 @vindex gnus-button-emacs-level
9342 Controls the display of Emacs or Gnus references. Related functions are
9343 @code{gnus-button-handle-custom},
9344 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-function},
9345 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-variable},
9346 @code{gnus-button-handle-symbol},
9347 @code{gnus-button-handle-describe-key},
9348 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos},
9349 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-command},
9350 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-variable},
9351 @code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-documentation}, and
9352 @code{gnus-button-handle-library}.
9354 @item gnus-button-man-level
9355 @vindex gnus-button-man-level
9356 Controls the display of references to (Unix) man pages.
9357 See @code{gnus-button-man-handler}.
9359 @item gnus-button-message-level
9360 @vindex gnus-button-message-level
9361 Controls the display of message IDs, mail addresses and news URLs.
9362 Related variables and functions include
9363 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp},
9364 @code{gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail},
9365 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}, and
9366 @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist}.
9368 @item gnus-button-tex-level
9369 @vindex gnus-button-tex-level
9370 Controls the display of references to @TeX{} or LaTeX stuff, e.g. for CTAN
9371 URLs. See the variables @code{gnus-ctan-url},
9372 @code{gnus-button-ctan-handler},
9373 @code{gnus-button-ctan-directory-regexp}, and
9374 @code{gnus-button-handle-ctan-bogus-regexp}.
9380 @subsection Article Date
9382 The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
9383 heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
9384 when the article was sent.
9389 @kindex W T u (Summary)
9390 @findex gnus-article-date-ut
9391 Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
9392 (@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
9395 @kindex W T i (Summary)
9396 @findex gnus-article-date-iso8601
9398 Display the date in international format, aka. ISO 8601
9399 (@code{gnus-article-date-iso8601}).
9402 @kindex W T l (Summary)
9403 @findex gnus-article-date-local
9404 Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
9407 @kindex W T p (Summary)
9408 @findex gnus-article-date-english
9409 Display the date in a format that's easily pronounceable in English
9410 (@code{gnus-article-date-english}).
9413 @kindex W T s (Summary)
9414 @vindex gnus-article-time-format
9415 @findex gnus-article-date-user
9416 @findex format-time-string
9417 Display the date using a user-defined format
9418 (@code{gnus-article-date-user}). The format is specified by the
9419 @code{gnus-article-time-format} variable, and is a string that's passed
9420 to @code{format-time-string}. See the documentation of that variable
9421 for a list of possible format specs.
9424 @kindex W T e (Summary)
9425 @findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
9426 @findex gnus-start-date-timer
9427 @findex gnus-stop-date-timer
9428 Say how much time has elapsed between the article was posted and now
9429 (@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}). It looks something like:
9432 X-Sent: 6 weeks, 4 days, 1 hour, 3 minutes, 8 seconds ago
9435 @vindex gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header
9436 The value of @code{gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header} determines
9437 whether this header will just be added below the old Date one, or will
9440 An advantage of using Gnus to read mail is that it converts simple bugs
9441 into wonderful absurdities.
9443 If you want to have this line updated continually, you can put
9446 (gnus-start-date-timer)
9449 in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file, or you can run it off of some hook. If
9450 you want to stop the timer, you can use the @code{gnus-stop-date-timer}
9454 @kindex W T o (Summary)
9455 @findex gnus-article-date-original
9456 Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
9457 be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and are
9458 worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
9459 that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
9460 @emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
9464 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to display the date in your
9465 preferred format automatically.
9468 @node Article Display
9469 @subsection Article Display
9474 These commands add various frivolous display gimmicks to the article
9475 buffer in Emacs versions that support them.
9477 @code{X-Face} headers are small black-and-white images supplied by the
9478 message headers (@pxref{X-Face}).
9480 @code{Face} headers are small colored images supplied by the message
9481 headers (@pxref{Face}).
9483 Smileys are those little @samp{:-)} symbols that people like to litter
9484 their messages with (@pxref{Smileys}).
9486 Picons, on the other hand, reside on your own system, and Gnus will
9487 try to match the headers to what you have (@pxref{Picons}).
9489 All these functions are toggles---if the elements already exist,
9494 @kindex W D x (Summary)
9495 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
9496 Display an @code{X-Face} in the @code{From} header.
9497 (@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}).
9500 @kindex W D d (Summary)
9501 @findex gnus-article-display-face
9502 Display a @code{Face} in the @code{From} header.
9503 (@code{gnus-article-display-face}).
9506 @kindex W D s (Summary)
9507 @findex gnus-treat-smiley
9508 Display smileys (@code{gnus-treat-smiley}).
9511 @kindex W D f (Summary)
9512 @findex gnus-treat-from-picon
9513 Piconify the @code{From} header (@code{gnus-treat-from-picon}).
9516 @kindex W D m (Summary)
9517 @findex gnus-treat-mail-picon
9518 Piconify all mail headers (i. e., @code{Cc}, @code{To})
9519 (@code{gnus-treat-mail-picon}).
9522 @kindex W D n (Summary)
9523 @findex gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon
9524 Piconify all news headers (i. e., @code{Newsgroups} and
9525 @code{Followup-To}) (@code{gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon}).
9528 @kindex W D D (Summary)
9529 @findex gnus-article-remove-images
9530 Remove all images from the article buffer
9531 (@code{gnus-article-remove-images}).
9537 @node Article Signature
9538 @subsection Article Signature
9540 @cindex article signature
9542 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
9543 Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
9544 body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
9545 that says what is to be considered a signature is
9546 @code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
9547 @samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
9548 non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
9549 of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
9550 from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
9553 (setq gnus-signature-separator
9554 '("^-- $" ; @r{The standard}
9555 "^-- *$" ; @r{A common mangling}
9556 "^-------*$" ; @r{Many people just use a looong}
9557 ; @r{line of dashes. Shame!}
9558 "^ *--------*$" ; @r{Double-shame!}
9559 "^________*$" ; @r{Underscores are also popular}
9560 "^========*$")) ; @r{Pervert!}
9563 The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
9566 @vindex gnus-signature-limit
9567 @code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
9568 signature when displaying articles.
9572 If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
9575 If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
9578 If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
9579 and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
9581 If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
9582 in question is not a signature.
9585 This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
9586 listed above. Here's an example:
9589 (setq gnus-signature-limit
9590 '(200.0 "^---*Forwarded article"))
9593 This means that if there are more than 200 lines after the signature
9594 separator, or the text after the signature separator is matched by
9595 the regular expression @samp{^---*Forwarded article}, then it isn't a
9596 signature after all.
9599 @node Article Miscellanea
9600 @subsection Article Miscellanea
9604 @kindex A t (Summary)
9605 @findex gnus-article-babel
9606 Translate the article from one language to another
9607 (@code{gnus-article-babel}).
9613 @section MIME Commands
9614 @cindex MIME decoding
9616 @cindex viewing attachments
9618 The following commands all understand the numerical prefix. For
9619 instance, @kbd{3 K v} means ``view the third @acronym{MIME} part''.
9625 @kindex K v (Summary)
9626 View the @acronym{MIME} part.
9629 @kindex K o (Summary)
9630 Save the @acronym{MIME} part.
9633 @kindex K O (Summary)
9634 Prompt for a file name, then save the @acronym{MIME} part and strip it
9635 from the article. The stripped @acronym{MIME} object will be referred
9636 via the message/external-body @acronym{MIME} type.
9639 @kindex K r (Summary)
9640 Replace the @acronym{MIME} part with an external body.
9643 @kindex K d (Summary)
9644 Delete the @acronym{MIME} part and add some information about the
9648 @kindex K c (Summary)
9649 Copy the @acronym{MIME} part.
9652 @kindex K e (Summary)
9653 View the @acronym{MIME} part externally.
9656 @kindex K i (Summary)
9657 View the @acronym{MIME} part internally.
9660 @kindex K | (Summary)
9661 Pipe the @acronym{MIME} part to an external command.
9664 The rest of these @acronym{MIME} commands do not use the numerical prefix in
9669 @kindex K b (Summary)
9670 Make all the @acronym{MIME} parts have buttons in front of them. This is
9671 mostly useful if you wish to save (or perform other actions) on inlined
9675 @kindex K m (Summary)
9676 @findex gnus-summary-repair-multipart
9677 Some multipart messages are transmitted with missing or faulty headers.
9678 This command will attempt to ``repair'' these messages so that they can
9679 be viewed in a more pleasant manner
9680 (@code{gnus-summary-repair-multipart}).
9683 @kindex X m (Summary)
9684 @findex gnus-summary-save-parts
9685 Save all parts matching a @acronym{MIME} type to a directory
9686 (@code{gnus-summary-save-parts}). Understands the process/prefix
9687 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
9690 @kindex M-t (Summary)
9691 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized
9692 Toggle the buttonized display of the article buffer
9693 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized}).
9696 @kindex W M w (Summary)
9697 @findex gnus-article-decode-mime-words
9698 Decode RFC 2047-encoded words in the article headers
9699 (@code{gnus-article-decode-mime-words}).
9702 @kindex W M c (Summary)
9703 @findex gnus-article-decode-charset
9704 Decode encoded article bodies as well as charsets
9705 (@code{gnus-article-decode-charset}).
9707 This command looks in the @code{Content-Type} header to determine the
9708 charset. If there is no such header in the article, you can give it a
9709 prefix, which will prompt for the charset to decode as. In regional
9710 groups where people post using some common encoding (but do not
9711 include @acronym{MIME} headers), you can set the @code{charset} group/topic
9712 parameter to the required charset (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
9715 @kindex W M v (Summary)
9716 @findex gnus-mime-view-all-parts
9717 View all the @acronym{MIME} parts in the current article
9718 (@code{gnus-mime-view-all-parts}).
9725 @item gnus-ignored-mime-types
9726 @vindex gnus-ignored-mime-types
9727 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
9728 this list will be completely ignored by Gnus. The default value is
9731 To have all Vcards be ignored, you'd say something like this:
9734 (setq gnus-ignored-mime-types
9738 @item gnus-article-loose-mime
9739 @vindex gnus-article-loose-mime
9740 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus won't require the @samp{MIME-Version} header
9741 before interpreting the message as a @acronym{MIME} message. This helps
9742 when reading messages from certain broken mail user agents. The
9743 default is @code{nil}.
9745 @item gnus-article-emulate-mime
9746 @vindex gnus-article-emulate-mime
9749 There are other, non-@acronym{MIME} encoding methods used. The most common
9750 is @samp{uuencode}, but yEncode is also getting to be popular. If
9751 this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will look in message bodies to
9752 see if it finds these encodings, and if so, it'll run them through the
9753 Gnus @acronym{MIME} machinery. The default is @code{t}. Only
9754 single-part yEnc encoded attachments can be decoded. There's no support
9755 for encoding in Gnus.
9757 @item gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
9758 @vindex gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
9759 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
9760 this list won't have @acronym{MIME} buttons inserted unless they aren't
9761 displayed or this variable is overridden by
9762 @code{gnus-buttonized-mime-types}. The default value is
9763 @code{(".*/.*")}. This variable is only used when
9764 @code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing} is @code{nil}.
9766 @item gnus-buttonized-mime-types
9767 @vindex gnus-buttonized-mime-types
9768 This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
9769 this list will have @acronym{MIME} buttons inserted unless they aren't
9770 displayed. This variable overrides
9771 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types}. The default value is @code{nil}.
9772 This variable is only used when @code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing}
9775 To see e.g. security buttons but no other buttons, you could set this
9776 variable to @code{("multipart/signed")} and leave
9777 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types} at the default value.
9779 You could also add @code{"multipart/alternative"} to this list to
9780 display radio buttons that allow you to choose one of two media types
9781 those mails include. See also @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives}
9782 (@pxref{Display Customization, ,Display Customization, emacs-mime, The
9783 Emacs MIME Manual}).
9785 @item gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
9786 @vindex gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
9787 If this is non-@code{nil}, then all @acronym{MIME} parts get buttons. The
9788 default value is @code{nil}.
9790 @item gnus-article-mime-part-function
9791 @vindex gnus-article-mime-part-function
9792 For each @acronym{MIME} part, this function will be called with the @acronym{MIME}
9793 handle as the parameter. The function is meant to be used to allow
9794 users to gather information from the article (e. g., add Vcard info to
9795 the bbdb database) or to do actions based on parts (e. g., automatically
9796 save all jpegs into some directory).
9798 Here's an example function the does the latter:
9801 (defun my-save-all-jpeg-parts (handle)
9802 (when (equal (car (mm-handle-type handle)) "image/jpeg")
9804 (insert (mm-get-part handle))
9805 (write-region (point-min) (point-max)
9806 (read-file-name "Save jpeg to: ")))))
9807 (setq gnus-article-mime-part-function
9808 'my-save-all-jpeg-parts)
9811 @vindex gnus-mime-multipart-functions
9812 @item gnus-mime-multipart-functions
9813 Alist of @acronym{MIME} multipart types and functions to handle them.
9815 @vindex gnus-mime-display-multipart-alternative-as-mixed
9816 @item gnus-mime-display-multipart-alternative-as-mixed
9817 Display "multipart/alternative" parts as "multipart/mixed".
9819 @vindex gnus-mime-display-multipart-related-as-mixed
9820 @item gnus-mime-display-multipart-related-as-mixed
9821 Display "multipart/related" parts as "multipart/mixed".
9823 If displaying "text/html" is discouraged, see
9824 @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives}, images or other material inside a
9825 "multipart/related" part might be overlooked when this variable is
9826 @code{nil}. @ref{Display Customization, Display Customization, ,
9827 emacs-mime, Emacs-Mime Manual}.
9829 @vindex gnus-mime-display-multipart-as-mixed
9830 @item gnus-mime-display-multipart-as-mixed
9831 Display "multipart" parts as "multipart/mixed". If @code{t}, it
9832 overrides @code{nil} values of
9833 @code{gnus-mime-display-multipart-alternative-as-mixed} and
9834 @code{gnus-mime-display-multipart-related-as-mixed}.
9836 @vindex mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9837 @item mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9838 List of functions used for rewriting file names of @acronym{MIME} parts.
9839 Each function takes a file name as input and returns a file name.
9841 Ready-made functions include@*
9842 @code{mm-file-name-delete-whitespace},
9843 @code{mm-file-name-trim-whitespace},
9844 @code{mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace}, and
9845 @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace}. The later uses the value of
9846 the variable @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace} to replace each
9847 whitespace character in a file name with that string; default value
9848 is @code{"_"} (a single underscore).
9849 @findex mm-file-name-delete-whitespace
9850 @findex mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
9851 @findex mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
9852 @findex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
9853 @vindex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
9855 The standard functions @code{capitalize}, @code{downcase},
9856 @code{upcase}, and @code{upcase-initials} may be useful, too.
9858 Everybody knows that whitespace characters in file names are evil,
9859 except those who don't know. If you receive lots of attachments from
9860 such unenlightened users, you can make live easier by adding
9863 (setq mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
9864 '(mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
9865 mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
9866 mm-file-name-replace-whitespace))
9870 to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
9879 People use different charsets, and we have @acronym{MIME} to let us know what
9880 charsets they use. Or rather, we wish we had. Many people use
9881 newsreaders and mailers that do not understand or use @acronym{MIME}, and
9882 just send out messages without saying what character sets they use. To
9883 help a bit with this, some local news hierarchies have policies that say
9884 what character set is the default. For instance, the @samp{fj}
9885 hierarchy uses @code{iso-2022-jp}.
9887 @vindex gnus-group-charset-alist
9888 This knowledge is encoded in the @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}
9889 variable, which is an alist of regexps (use the first item to match full
9890 group names) and default charsets to be used when reading these groups.
9892 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets
9893 In addition, some people do use soi-disant @acronym{MIME}-aware agents that
9894 aren't. These blithely mark messages as being in @code{iso-8859-1}
9895 even if they really are in @code{koi-8}. To help here, the
9896 @code{gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets} variable can be used. The
9897 charsets that are listed here will be ignored. The variable can be
9898 set on a group-by-group basis using the group parameters (@pxref{Group
9899 Parameters}). The default value is @code{(unknown-8bit x-unknown)},
9900 which includes values some agents insist on having in there.
9902 @vindex gnus-group-posting-charset-alist
9903 When posting, @code{gnus-group-posting-charset-alist} is used to
9904 determine which charsets should not be encoded using the @acronym{MIME}
9905 encodings. For instance, some hierarchies discourage using
9906 quoted-printable header encoding.
9908 This variable is an alist of regexps and permitted unencoded charsets
9909 for posting. Each element of the alist has the form @code{(}@var{test
9910 header body-list}@code{)}, where:
9914 is either a regular expression matching the newsgroup header or a
9917 is the charset which may be left unencoded in the header (@code{nil}
9918 means encode all charsets),
9920 is a list of charsets which may be encoded using 8bit content-transfer
9921 encoding in the body, or one of the special values @code{nil} (always
9922 encode using quoted-printable) or @code{t} (always use 8bit).
9929 @cindex coding system aliases
9930 @cindex preferred charset
9932 @xref{Encoding Customization, , Encoding Customization, emacs-mime,
9933 The Emacs MIME Manual}, for additional variables that control which
9934 MIME charsets are used when sending messages.
9936 Other charset tricks that may be useful, although not Gnus-specific:
9938 If there are several @acronym{MIME} charsets that encode the same Emacs
9939 charset, you can choose what charset to use by saying the following:
9942 (put-charset-property 'cyrillic-iso8859-5
9943 'preferred-coding-system 'koi8-r)
9946 This means that Russian will be encoded using @code{koi8-r} instead of
9947 the default @code{iso-8859-5} @acronym{MIME} charset.
9949 If you want to read messages in @code{koi8-u}, you can cheat and say
9952 (define-coding-system-alias 'koi8-u 'koi8-r)
9955 This will almost do the right thing.
9957 And finally, to read charsets like @code{windows-1251}, you can say
9961 (codepage-setup 1251)
9962 (define-coding-system-alias 'windows-1251 'cp1251)
9966 @node Article Commands
9967 @section Article Commands
9974 @kindex A P (Summary)
9975 @vindex gnus-ps-print-hook
9976 @findex gnus-summary-print-article
9977 Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
9978 (@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will
9979 be run just before printing the buffer. An alternative way to print
9980 article is to use Muttprint (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
9985 @node Summary Sorting
9986 @section Summary Sorting
9987 @cindex summary sorting
9989 You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
9990 can't really see why you'd want that.
9995 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
9996 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
9997 Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
10000 @kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
10001 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
10002 Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
10005 @kindex C-c C-s C-t (Summary)
10006 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-recipient
10007 Sort by recipient (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-recipient}).
10010 @kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
10011 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
10012 Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
10015 @kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
10016 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
10017 Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
10020 @kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary)
10021 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines
10022 Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}).
10025 @kindex C-c C-s C-c (Summary)
10026 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-chars
10027 Sort by article length (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-chars}).
10030 @kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
10031 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
10032 Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
10035 @kindex C-c C-s C-r (Summary)
10036 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-random
10037 Randomize (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-random}).
10040 @kindex C-c C-s C-o (Summary)
10041 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-original
10042 Sort using the default sorting method
10043 (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-original}).
10046 These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
10047 use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
10048 line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
10049 root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
10050 toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
10054 @node Finding the Parent
10055 @section Finding the Parent
10056 @cindex parent articles
10057 @cindex referring articles
10061 @kindex ^ (Summary)
10062 @findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
10063 If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
10064 displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
10065 if the current group is fetched by @acronym{NNTP}, the parent hasn't expired
10066 and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
10067 can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
10068 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
10069 you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
10070 summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
10072 If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
10073 the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
10074 ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, Gnus will fetch the parent, the
10075 grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
10076 @kbd{-3 ^}, Gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
10079 @item A R (Summary)
10080 @findex gnus-summary-refer-references
10081 @kindex A R (Summary)
10082 Fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References} header of the
10083 article (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
10085 @item A T (Summary)
10086 @findex gnus-summary-refer-thread
10087 @kindex A T (Summary)
10088 Display the full thread where the current article appears
10089 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-thread}). This command has to fetch all the
10090 headers in the current group to work, so it usually takes a while. If
10091 you do it often, you may consider setting @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}
10092 to @code{invisible} (@pxref{Filling In Threads}). This won't have any
10093 visible effects normally, but it'll make this command work a whole lot
10094 faster. Of course, it'll make group entry somewhat slow.
10096 @vindex gnus-refer-thread-limit
10097 The @code{gnus-refer-thread-limit} variable says how many old (i. e.,
10098 articles before the first displayed in the current group) headers to
10099 fetch when doing this command. The default is 200. If @code{t}, all
10100 the available headers will be fetched. This variable can be overridden
10101 by giving the @kbd{A T} command a numerical prefix.
10103 @item M-^ (Summary)
10104 @findex gnus-summary-refer-article
10105 @kindex M-^ (Summary)
10107 @cindex fetching by Message-ID
10108 You can also ask Gnus for an arbitrary article, no matter what group it
10109 belongs to. @kbd{M-^} (@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you
10110 for a @code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read
10111 thingies that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}.
10112 You have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
10114 Gnus looks for the @code{Message-ID} in the headers that have already
10115 been fetched, but also tries all the select methods specified by
10116 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} if it is not found.
10119 @vindex gnus-refer-article-method
10120 If the group you are reading is located on a back end that does not
10121 support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
10122 you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @acronym{NNTP} method. It
10123 would, perhaps, be best if the @acronym{NNTP} server you consult is the one
10124 updating the spool you are reading from, but that's not really
10127 It can also be a list of select methods, as well as the special symbol
10128 @code{current}, which means to use the current select method. If it
10129 is a list, Gnus will try all the methods in the list until it finds a
10132 Here's an example setting that will first try the current method, and
10133 then ask Google if that fails:
10136 (setq gnus-refer-article-method
10138 (nnweb "google" (nnweb-type google))))
10141 Most of the mail back ends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but
10142 do not do a particularly excellent job at it. That is, @code{nnmbox},
10143 @code{nnbabyl}, @code{nnmaildir}, @code{nnml}, are able to locate
10144 articles from any groups, while @code{nnfolder}, and @code{nnimap} are
10145 only able to locate articles that have been posted to the current
10146 group. (Anything else would be too time consuming.) @code{nnmh} does
10147 not support this at all.
10150 @node Alternative Approaches
10151 @section Alternative Approaches
10153 Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
10154 Gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
10157 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
10158 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
10162 @node Pick and Read
10163 @subsection Pick and Read
10164 @cindex pick and read
10166 Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{Netnews} on VM/CMS) use
10167 a two-phased reading interface. The user first marks in a summary
10168 buffer the articles she wants to read. Then she starts reading the
10169 articles with just an article buffer displayed.
10171 @findex gnus-pick-mode
10172 @kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
10173 Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
10174 this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
10175 mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
10176 it provides one additional command for switching to the summary buffer.
10178 Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
10183 @findex gnus-pick-article-or-thread
10184 Pick the article or thread on the current line
10185 (@code{gnus-pick-article-or-thread}). If the variable
10186 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key selects the
10187 entire thread when used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise,
10188 it selects just the article. If given a numerical prefix, go to that
10189 thread or article and pick it. (The line number is normally displayed
10190 at the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
10193 @kindex SPACE (Pick)
10194 @findex gnus-pick-next-page
10195 Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
10196 at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
10200 @findex gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread.
10201 Unpick the thread or article
10202 (@code{gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread}). If the variable
10203 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key unpicks the
10204 thread if used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise it unpicks
10205 just the article. You can give this key a numerical prefix to unpick
10206 the thread or article at that line.
10210 @findex gnus-pick-start-reading
10211 @vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
10212 Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
10213 given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
10214 @code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
10215 will still be visible when you are reading.
10219 All the normal summary mode commands are still available in the
10220 pick-mode, with the exception of @kbd{u}. However @kbd{!} is available
10221 which is mapped to the same function
10222 @code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}.
10224 If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
10227 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
10230 @vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
10231 @code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
10233 @vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
10234 If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
10235 all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
10237 @vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
10238 The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different from the
10239 standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
10240 displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
10241 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
10242 Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
10243 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
10246 @node Binary Groups
10247 @subsection Binary Groups
10248 @cindex binary groups
10250 @findex gnus-binary-mode
10251 @kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
10252 If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
10253 @kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
10254 is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
10255 selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
10256 instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
10259 @findex gnus-binary-show-article
10260 The only way, in fact, to see the actual articles is the @kbd{g}
10261 command, when you have turned on this mode
10262 (@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
10264 @vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
10265 @code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
10269 @section Tree Display
10272 @vindex gnus-use-trees
10273 If you don't like the normal Gnus summary display, you might try setting
10274 @code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
10275 additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
10276 in the tree buffer.
10278 There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
10281 @item gnus-tree-mode-hook
10282 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
10283 A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
10285 @item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
10286 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
10287 A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers (@pxref{Mode
10288 Line Formatting}). The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b %S %Z}. For a list
10289 of valid specs, @pxref{Summary Buffer Mode Line}.
10291 @item gnus-selected-tree-face
10292 @vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
10293 Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
10294 default is @code{modeline}.
10296 @item gnus-tree-line-format
10297 @vindex gnus-tree-line-format
10298 A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
10299 though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
10300 is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
10301 the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
10302 length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
10308 The name of the poster.
10310 The @code{From} header.
10312 The number of the article.
10314 The opening bracket.
10316 The closing bracket.
10321 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
10323 Variables related to the display are:
10326 @item gnus-tree-brackets
10327 @vindex gnus-tree-brackets
10328 This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
10329 ``sparse'' articles. The format is
10331 ((@var{real-open} . @var{real-close})
10332 (@var{sparse-open} . @var{sparse-close})
10333 (@var{dummy-open} . @var{dummy-close}))
10335 and the default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}) (?< . ?>))}.
10337 @item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
10338 @vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
10339 This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
10340 nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
10344 @item gnus-tree-minimize-window
10345 @vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
10346 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will try to keep the tree
10347 buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other Gnus
10348 windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
10349 higher than that number. The default is @code{t}. Note that if you
10350 have several windows displayed side-by-side in a frame and the tree
10351 buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all
10352 other windows displayed next to it.
10354 You may also wish to add the following hook to keep the window minimized
10358 (add-hook 'gnus-configure-windows-hook
10359 'gnus-tree-perhaps-minimize)
10362 @item gnus-generate-tree-function
10363 @vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
10364 @findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
10365 @findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
10366 The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
10367 functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
10368 @code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
10372 Here's an example from a horizontal tree buffer:
10375 @{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
10385 Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
10390 |--------------------------\-----\-----\
10391 (***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
10393 [odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
10395 [Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
10401 If you're using horizontal trees, it might be nice to display the trees
10402 side-by-side with the summary buffer. You could add something like the
10403 following to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
10406 (setq gnus-use-trees t
10407 gnus-generate-tree-function 'gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
10408 gnus-tree-minimize-window nil)
10409 (gnus-add-configuration
10413 (summary 0.75 point)
10418 @xref{Window Layout}.
10421 @node Mail Group Commands
10422 @section Mail Group Commands
10423 @cindex mail group commands
10425 Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
10426 invalid in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
10428 All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
10429 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
10434 @kindex B e (Summary)
10435 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
10436 @cindex expiring mail
10437 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
10438 process (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}). That is, delete all
10439 expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
10440 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
10443 @kindex B C-M-e (Summary)
10444 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
10445 @cindex expiring mail
10446 Delete all the expirable articles in the group
10447 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
10448 articles eligible for expiry in the current group will
10449 disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
10452 @kindex B DEL (Summary)
10453 @findex gnus-summary-delete-article
10454 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-delete}
10455 Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
10456 disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
10457 (@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
10460 @kindex B m (Summary)
10462 @findex gnus-summary-move-article
10463 @vindex gnus-preserve-marks
10464 Move the article from one mail group to another
10465 (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}). Marks will be preserved if
10466 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
10469 @kindex B c (Summary)
10471 @findex gnus-summary-copy-article
10472 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-copy}
10473 Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
10474 (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}). Marks will be preserved if
10475 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
10478 @kindex B B (Summary)
10479 @cindex crosspost mail
10480 @findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
10481 Crosspost the current article to some other group
10482 (@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
10483 the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
10484 be properly updated.
10487 @kindex B i (Summary)
10488 @findex gnus-summary-import-article
10489 Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
10490 (@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
10491 name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
10494 @kindex B I (Summary)
10495 @findex gnus-summary-create-article
10496 Create an empty article in the current mail newsgroups
10497 (@code{gnus-summary-create-article}). You will be prompted for a
10498 @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
10501 @kindex B r (Summary)
10502 @findex gnus-summary-respool-article
10503 @vindex gnus-summary-respool-default-method
10504 Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-respool-article}).
10505 @code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
10506 select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default,
10507 which means that the current group select method will be used instead.
10508 Marks will be preserved if @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil}
10509 (which is the default).
10513 @kindex B w (Summary)
10514 @kindex e (Summary)
10515 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article
10516 @kindex C-c C-c (Article)
10517 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article-done
10518 Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
10519 editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
10520 (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}). If you give a prefix to the
10521 @kbd{C-c C-c} command, Gnus won't re-highlight the article.
10524 @kindex B q (Summary)
10525 @findex gnus-summary-respool-query
10526 If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
10527 the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
10528 will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
10531 @kindex B t (Summary)
10532 @findex gnus-summary-respool-trace
10533 Similarly, this command will display all fancy splitting patterns used
10534 when respooling, if any (@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace}).
10537 @kindex B p (Summary)
10538 @findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
10539 Some people have a tendency to send you ``courtesy'' copies when they
10540 follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
10541 @code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
10542 (@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
10543 article from your news server (or rather, from
10544 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
10545 report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
10546 it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
10547 propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
10548 just not have arrived yet.
10551 @kindex K E (Summary)
10552 @findex gnus-article-encrypt-body
10553 @vindex gnus-article-encrypt-protocol
10554 Encrypt the body of an article (@code{gnus-article-encrypt-body}).
10555 The body is encrypted with the encryption protocol specified by the
10556 variable @code{gnus-article-encrypt-protocol}.
10560 @vindex gnus-move-split-methods
10561 @cindex moving articles
10562 If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have Gnus
10563 suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
10564 variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
10565 (@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
10566 suggestions you find reasonable. (Note that
10567 @code{gnus-move-split-methods} uses group names where
10568 @code{gnus-split-methods} uses file names.)
10571 (setq gnus-move-split-methods
10572 '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk")
10573 ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important")
10574 (".*" "nnml:misc")))
10578 @node Various Summary Stuff
10579 @section Various Summary Stuff
10582 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
10583 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
10584 * Summary Generation Commands::
10585 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
10589 @vindex gnus-summary-display-while-building
10590 @item gnus-summary-display-while-building
10591 If non-@code{nil}, show and update the summary buffer as it's being
10592 built. If @code{t}, update the buffer after every line is inserted.
10593 If the value is an integer, @var{n}, update the display every @var{n}
10594 lines. The default is @code{nil}.
10596 @vindex gnus-summary-display-arrow
10597 @item gnus-summary-display-arrow
10598 If non-@code{nil}, display an arrow in the fringe to indicate the
10601 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
10602 @item gnus-summary-mode-hook
10603 This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
10605 @vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
10606 @item gnus-summary-generate-hook
10607 This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
10608 generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
10609 the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
10610 is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
10613 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
10614 @item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
10615 It is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
10616 it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
10617 some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
10619 @vindex gnus-summary-prepared-hook
10620 @item gnus-summary-prepared-hook
10621 A hook called as the very last thing after the summary buffer has been
10624 @vindex gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
10625 @item gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
10626 When Gnus discovers two articles that have the same @code{Message-ID},
10627 it has to do something drastic. No articles are allowed to have the
10628 same @code{Message-ID}, but this may happen when reading mail from some
10629 sources. Gnus allows you to customize what happens with this variable.
10630 If it is @code{nil} (which is the default), Gnus will rename the
10631 @code{Message-ID} (for display purposes only) and display the article as
10632 any other article. If this variable is @code{t}, it won't display the
10633 article---it'll be as if it never existed.
10635 @vindex gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
10636 @item gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
10637 This function, which takes two parameters (the group name and the list
10638 of articles to be selected), is called to allow the user to alter the
10639 list of articles to be selected.
10641 For instance, the following function adds the list of cached articles to
10642 the list in one particular group:
10645 (defun my-add-cached-articles (group articles)
10646 (if (string= group "some.group")
10647 (append gnus-newsgroup-cached articles)
10651 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-variables
10652 @item gnus-newsgroup-variables
10653 A list of newsgroup (summary buffer) local variables, or cons of
10654 variables and their default expressions to be evalled (when the default
10655 values are not @code{nil}), that should be made global while the summary
10658 Note: The default expressions will be evaluated (using function
10659 @code{eval}) before assignment to the local variable rather than just
10660 assigned to it. If the default expression is the symbol @code{global},
10661 that symbol will not be evaluated but the global value of the local
10662 variable will be used instead.
10664 These variables can be used to set variables in the group parameters
10665 while still allowing them to affect operations done in other
10666 buffers. For example:
10669 (setq gnus-newsgroup-variables
10670 '(message-use-followup-to
10671 (gnus-visible-headers .
10672 "^From:\\|^Newsgroups:\\|^Subject:\\|^Date:\\|^To:")))
10675 Also @pxref{Group Parameters}.
10679 @node Summary Group Information
10680 @subsection Summary Group Information
10685 @kindex H f (Summary)
10686 @findex gnus-summary-fetch-faq
10687 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
10688 Try to fetch the @acronym{FAQ} (list of frequently asked questions)
10689 for the current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try
10690 to get the @acronym{FAQ} from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which
10691 is usually a directory on a remote machine. This variable can also be
10692 a list of directories. In that case, giving a prefix to this command
10693 will allow you to choose between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp}
10694 or @code{efs} will probably be used for fetching the file.
10697 @kindex H d (Summary)
10698 @findex gnus-summary-describe-group
10699 Give a brief description of the current group
10700 (@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
10701 rereading the description from the server.
10704 @kindex H h (Summary)
10705 @findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
10706 Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
10707 keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
10710 @kindex H i (Summary)
10711 @findex gnus-info-find-node
10712 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
10716 @node Searching for Articles
10717 @subsection Searching for Articles
10722 @kindex M-s (Summary)
10723 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
10724 Search through all subsequent (raw) articles for a regexp
10725 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
10728 @kindex M-r (Summary)
10729 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
10730 Search through all previous (raw) articles for a regexp
10731 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
10734 @kindex M-S (Summary)
10735 @findex gnus-summary-repeat-search-article-forward
10736 Repeat the previous search forwards
10737 (@code{gnus-summary-repeat-search-article-forward}).
10740 @kindex M-R (Summary)
10741 @findex gnus-summary-repeat-search-article-backward
10742 Repeat the previous search backwards
10743 (@code{gnus-summary-repeat-search-article-backward}).
10746 @kindex & (Summary)
10747 @findex gnus-summary-execute-command
10748 This command will prompt you for a header, a regular expression to match
10749 on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
10750 (@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}). If the header is an empty
10751 string, the match is done on the entire article. If given a prefix,
10752 search backward instead.
10754 For instance, @kbd{& RET some.*string RET #} will put the process mark on
10755 all articles that have heads or bodies that match @samp{some.*string}.
10758 @kindex M-& (Summary)
10759 @findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
10760 Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
10761 the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
10764 @node Summary Generation Commands
10765 @subsection Summary Generation Commands
10770 @kindex Y g (Summary)
10771 @findex gnus-summary-prepare
10772 Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
10775 @kindex Y c (Summary)
10776 @findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
10777 Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
10778 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
10781 @kindex Y d (Summary)
10782 @findex gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles
10783 Pull all dormant articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
10784 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles}).
10787 @kindex Y t (Summary)
10788 @findex gnus-summary-insert-ticked-articles
10789 Pull all ticked articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
10790 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-ticked-articles}).
10795 @node Really Various Summary Commands
10796 @subsection Really Various Summary Commands
10802 @kindex C-d (Summary)
10803 @kindex A D (Summary)
10804 @findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
10805 If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
10806 a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
10807 article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
10808 guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
10809 to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
10810 whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages of
10811 some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
10814 @vindex gnus-auto-select-on-ephemeral-exit
10815 The variable @code{gnus-auto-select-on-ephemeral-exit} controls what
10816 article should be selected after exiting a digest group. Valid values
10821 Select the next article.
10824 Select the next unread article.
10826 @item next-noselect
10827 Move the cursor to the next article. This is the default.
10829 @item next-unread-noselect
10830 Move the cursor to the next unread article.
10833 If it has any other value or there is no next (unread) article, the
10834 article selected before entering to the digest group will appear.
10837 @kindex C-M-d (Summary)
10838 @findex gnus-summary-read-document
10839 This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
10840 several documents into one biiig group
10841 (@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
10842 @code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
10843 @code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
10844 command understands the process/prefix convention
10845 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
10848 @kindex C-t (Summary)
10849 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
10850 Toggle truncation of summary lines
10851 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
10852 line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
10853 to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
10856 @kindex = (Summary)
10857 @findex gnus-summary-expand-window
10858 Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
10859 If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
10862 @kindex C-M-e (Summary)
10863 @findex gnus-summary-edit-parameters
10864 Edit the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
10865 group (@code{gnus-summary-edit-parameters}).
10868 @kindex C-M-a (Summary)
10869 @findex gnus-summary-customize-parameters
10870 Customize the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
10871 group (@code{gnus-summary-customize-parameters}).
10876 @node Exiting the Summary Buffer
10877 @section Exiting the Summary Buffer
10878 @cindex summary exit
10879 @cindex exiting groups
10881 Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
10882 group and return you to the group buffer.
10889 @kindex Z Z (Summary)
10890 @kindex Z Q (Summary)
10891 @kindex q (Summary)
10892 @findex gnus-summary-exit
10893 @vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
10894 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
10895 @vindex gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook
10896 @c @icon{gnus-summary-exit}
10897 Exit the current group and update all information on the group
10898 (@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
10899 called before doing much of the exiting, which calls
10900 @code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
10901 @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exit
10902 process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to
10903 group mode having no more (unread) groups.
10907 @kindex Z E (Summary)
10908 @kindex Q (Summary)
10909 @findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
10910 Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
10911 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
10915 @kindex Z c (Summary)
10916 @kindex c (Summary)
10917 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
10918 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}
10919 Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
10920 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
10923 @kindex Z C (Summary)
10924 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
10925 Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
10926 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
10929 @kindex Z n (Summary)
10930 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
10931 Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
10932 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
10935 @kindex Z p (Summary)
10936 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-prev-group
10937 Mark all articles as read and go to the previous group
10938 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-prev-group}).
10942 @kindex Z R (Summary)
10943 @kindex C-x C-s (Summary)
10944 @findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
10945 Exit this group, and then enter it again
10946 (@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
10947 all articles, both read and unread.
10951 @kindex Z G (Summary)
10952 @kindex M-g (Summary)
10953 @findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
10954 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-get}
10955 Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
10956 group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
10957 articles, both read and unread.
10960 @kindex Z N (Summary)
10961 @findex gnus-summary-next-group
10962 Exit the group and go to the next group
10963 (@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
10966 @kindex Z P (Summary)
10967 @findex gnus-summary-prev-group
10968 Exit the group and go to the previous group
10969 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
10972 @kindex Z s (Summary)
10973 @findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc
10974 Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer
10975 and then save the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If
10976 given a prefix, also save the @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this
10977 command will make exit without updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless.
10980 @vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
10981 @code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current group
10982 with an ``updating'' exit. For instance @kbd{Q}
10983 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}) does not call this hook.
10985 @findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
10986 @findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
10987 @vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
10988 If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
10989 about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
10990 If you do that, Gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
10991 (Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
10992 something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
10993 called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
10994 buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
10995 @code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
10996 summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
10998 There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
11000 @vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
11001 The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
11002 read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
11003 summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
11004 @code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
11005 this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
11006 other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
11007 neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
11008 both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
11011 @node Crosspost Handling
11012 @section Crosspost Handling
11016 Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
11017 read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
11018 posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
11019 several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
11020 by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
11021 heinous crime. You may want to try NoCeM handling to filter out spam
11024 Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
11025 separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
11026 @dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
11027 @code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
11028 excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
11030 @cindex cross-posting
11032 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
11033 One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
11034 correctly is if you use an @acronym{NNTP} server that supports @sc{xover}
11035 (which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
11036 does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @acronym{NOV} lines. This is
11037 Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
11038 even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
11039 articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
11040 them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
11041 the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
11042 the cross reference mechanism.
11044 @cindex LIST overview.fmt
11045 @cindex overview.fmt
11046 To check whether your @acronym{NNTP} server includes the @code{Xref} header
11047 in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
11048 @samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
11049 overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
11050 get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
11051 your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
11054 If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
11055 set @code{nntp-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
11056 considerably. Also @pxref{Slow/Expensive Connection}.
11060 For an alternative approach, @pxref{Duplicate Suppression}.
11063 @node Duplicate Suppression
11064 @section Duplicate Suppression
11066 By default, Gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
11067 article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
11068 (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
11069 approach may not work satisfactory for some users for various
11074 The @acronym{NNTP} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
11075 is evil and not very common.
11078 The @acronym{NNTP} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
11079 @file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
11082 You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
11083 different @acronym{NNTP} servers.
11086 You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
11089 I'm sure there are other situations where @code{Xref} handling fails as
11090 well, but these four are the most common situations.
11092 If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
11093 consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
11094 will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
11095 otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
11096 all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
11097 mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
11098 so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
11101 Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
11102 sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
11103 fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
11104 to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
11105 article as read with the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
11106 saw the article in.
11109 @item gnus-suppress-duplicates
11110 @vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
11111 If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
11113 @item gnus-save-duplicate-list
11114 @vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
11115 If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
11116 make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
11117 However, this means that only duplicate articles read in a single Gnus
11118 session are suppressed.
11120 @item gnus-duplicate-list-length
11121 @vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
11122 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
11123 suppression list. The default is 10000.
11125 @item gnus-duplicate-file
11126 @vindex gnus-duplicate-file
11127 The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list in. The
11128 default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
11131 If you have a tendency to stop and start Gnus often, setting
11132 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
11133 you leave Gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
11134 the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
11135 so that means that if you stop and start Gnus often, you should set
11136 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
11137 to you to figure out, I think.
11142 Gnus is able to verify signed messages or decrypt encrypted messages.
11143 The formats that are supported are @acronym{PGP}, @acronym{PGP/MIME}
11144 and @acronym{S/MIME}, however you need some external programs to get
11149 To handle @acronym{PGP} and @acronym{PGP/MIME} messages, you have to
11150 install an OpenPGP implementation such as GnuPG. The Lisp interface
11151 to GnuPG included with Gnus is called PGG (@pxref{Top, ,PGG, pgg, PGG
11152 Manual}), but Mailcrypt and gpg.el are also supported.
11155 To handle @acronym{S/MIME} message, you need to install OpenSSL. OpenSSL 0.9.6
11156 or newer is recommended.
11160 The variables that control security functionality on reading messages
11164 @item mm-verify-option
11165 @vindex mm-verify-option
11166 Option of verifying signed parts. @code{never}, not verify;
11167 @code{always}, always verify; @code{known}, only verify known
11168 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
11170 @item mm-decrypt-option
11171 @vindex mm-decrypt-option
11172 Option of decrypting encrypted parts. @code{never}, no decryption;
11173 @code{always}, always decrypt; @code{known}, only decrypt known
11174 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
11177 @vindex mml1991-use
11178 Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for
11179 @acronym{PGP} messages. The default is @code{pgg}, but
11180 @code{mailcrypt} and @code{gpg} are also supported although
11184 @vindex mml2015-use
11185 Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for
11186 @acronym{PGP/MIME} messages. The default is @code{pgg}, but
11187 @code{mailcrypt} and @code{gpg} are also supported although
11192 By default the buttons that display security information are not
11193 shown, because they clutter reading the actual e-mail. You can type
11194 @kbd{K b} manually to display the information. Use the
11195 @code{gnus-buttonized-mime-types} and
11196 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types} variables to control this
11197 permanently. @ref{MIME Commands} for further details, and hints on
11198 how to customize these variables to always display security
11201 @cindex snarfing keys
11202 @cindex importing PGP keys
11203 @cindex PGP key ring import
11204 Snarfing OpenPGP keys (i.e., importing keys from articles into your
11205 key ring) is not supported explicitly through a menu item or command,
11206 rather Gnus do detect and label keys as @samp{application/pgp-keys},
11207 allowing you to specify whatever action you think is appropriate
11208 through the usual @acronym{MIME} infrastructure. You can use a
11209 @file{~/.mailcap} entry (@pxref{mailcap, , mailcap, emacs-mime, The
11210 Emacs MIME Manual}) such as the following to import keys using GNU
11211 Privacy Guard when you click on the @acronym{MIME} button
11212 (@pxref{Using MIME}).
11215 application/pgp-keys; gpg --import --interactive --verbose; needsterminal
11218 This happens to also be the default action defined in
11219 @code{mailcap-mime-data}.
11221 More information on how to set things for sending outgoing signed and
11222 encrypted messages up can be found in the message manual
11223 (@pxref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}).
11226 @section Mailing List
11227 @cindex mailing list
11230 @kindex A M (summary)
11231 @findex gnus-mailing-list-insinuate
11232 Gnus understands some mailing list fields of RFC 2369. To enable it,
11233 add a @code{to-list} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}),
11234 possibly using @kbd{A M} (@code{gnus-mailing-list-insinuate}) in the
11237 That enables the following commands to the summary buffer:
11242 @kindex C-c C-n h (Summary)
11243 @findex gnus-mailing-list-help
11244 Send a message to fetch mailing list help, if List-Help field exists.
11247 @kindex C-c C-n s (Summary)
11248 @findex gnus-mailing-list-subscribe
11249 Send a message to subscribe the mailing list, if List-Subscribe field exists.
11252 @kindex C-c C-n u (Summary)
11253 @findex gnus-mailing-list-unsubscribe
11254 Send a message to unsubscribe the mailing list, if List-Unsubscribe
11258 @kindex C-c C-n p (Summary)
11259 @findex gnus-mailing-list-post
11260 Post to the mailing list, if List-Post field exists.
11263 @kindex C-c C-n o (Summary)
11264 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
11265 Send a message to the mailing list owner, if List-Owner field exists.
11268 @kindex C-c C-n a (Summary)
11269 @findex gnus-mailing-list-archive
11270 Browse the mailing list archive, if List-Archive field exists.
11275 @node Article Buffer
11276 @chapter Article Buffer
11277 @cindex article buffer
11279 The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
11280 one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
11281 tell Gnus otherwise.
11284 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
11285 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @acronym{MIME} before reading them.
11286 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
11287 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
11288 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
11292 @node Hiding Headers
11293 @section Hiding Headers
11294 @cindex hiding headers
11295 @cindex deleting headers
11297 The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
11298 @dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
11300 @vindex gnus-show-all-headers
11301 There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
11302 who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
11303 article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
11304 most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
11305 through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
11306 @code{References}, etc. ad nauseam---and you'll probably want to get rid
11307 of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
11308 article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
11310 Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
11314 @item gnus-visible-headers
11315 @vindex gnus-visible-headers
11316 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
11317 that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
11318 headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
11320 For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
11321 the article and the subject, you'd say:
11324 (setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
11327 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
11330 @item gnus-ignored-headers
11331 @vindex gnus-ignored-headers
11332 This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
11333 variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
11334 should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
11335 hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
11337 For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} line
11338 and the @code{Xref} line, you might say:
11341 (setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
11344 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
11347 Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
11348 variable will have no effect.
11352 @vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
11353 Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
11354 can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
11355 variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
11356 the headers are to be displayed.
11358 For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
11359 and then the subject, you might say something like:
11362 (setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
11365 Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
11366 variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers listed in this variable.
11368 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
11369 @vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
11370 You can hide further boring headers by setting
11371 @code{gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers} to @code{head}. What this function
11372 does depends on the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a
11373 list, but this list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead it
11374 lists various @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove
11377 These conditions are:
11380 Remove all empty headers.
11382 Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
11383 @code{Newsgroups} header.
11385 Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same addresses as
11386 the @code{From} header, or if the @code{broken-reply-to} group
11389 Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
11392 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
11393 the current group's @code{to-address} parameter.
11395 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
11396 the current group's @code{to-list} parameter.
11398 Remove the @code{Cc} header if it only contains the address identical to
11399 the current group's @code{to-list} parameter.
11401 Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
11404 Remove the @code{To} and/or @code{Cc} header if it is very long.
11406 Remove all @code{To} and/or @code{Cc} headers if there are more than one.
11409 To include these three elements, you could say something like:
11412 (setq gnus-boring-article-headers
11413 '(empty followup-to reply-to))
11416 This is also the default value for this variable.
11420 @section Using MIME
11421 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
11423 Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
11424 while people stand around yawning.
11426 @acronym{MIME}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
11427 while all newsreaders die of fear.
11429 @acronym{MIME} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
11430 of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
11431 other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
11433 @vindex gnus-display-mime-function
11434 @findex gnus-display-mime
11435 Gnus pushes @acronym{MIME} articles through @code{gnus-display-mime-function}
11436 to display the @acronym{MIME} parts. This is @code{gnus-display-mime} by
11437 default, which creates a bundle of clickable buttons that can be used to
11438 display, save and manipulate the @acronym{MIME} objects.
11440 The following commands are available when you have placed point over a
11441 @acronym{MIME} button:
11444 @findex gnus-article-press-button
11445 @item RET (Article)
11446 @kindex RET (Article)
11447 @itemx BUTTON-2 (Article)
11448 Toggle displaying of the @acronym{MIME} object
11449 (@code{gnus-article-press-button}). If built-in viewers can not display
11450 the object, Gnus resorts to external viewers in the @file{mailcap}
11451 files. If a viewer has the @samp{copiousoutput} specification, the
11452 object is displayed inline.
11454 @findex gnus-mime-view-part
11455 @item M-RET (Article)
11456 @kindex M-RET (Article)
11458 Prompt for a method, and then view the @acronym{MIME} object using this
11459 method (@code{gnus-mime-view-part}).
11461 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-type
11463 @kindex t (Article)
11464 View the @acronym{MIME} object as if it were a different @acronym{MIME} media type
11465 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-type}).
11467 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset
11469 @kindex C (Article)
11470 Prompt for a charset, and then view the @acronym{MIME} object using this
11471 charset (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset}).
11473 @findex gnus-mime-save-part
11475 @kindex o (Article)
11476 Prompt for a file name, and then save the @acronym{MIME} object
11477 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part}).
11479 @findex gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip
11480 @item C-o (Article)
11481 @kindex C-o (Article)
11482 Prompt for a file name, then save the @acronym{MIME} object and strip it from
11483 the article. Then proceed to article editing, where a reasonable
11484 suggestion is being made on how the altered article should look
11485 like. The stripped @acronym{MIME} object will be referred via the
11486 message/external-body @acronym{MIME} type.
11487 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip}).
11489 @findex gnus-mime-replace-part
11491 @kindex r (Article)
11492 Prompt for a file name, replace the @acronym{MIME} object with an
11493 external body refering to the file via the message/external-body
11494 @acronym{MIME} type. (@code{gnus-mime-replace-part}).
11496 @findex gnus-mime-delete-part
11498 @kindex d (Article)
11499 Delete the @acronym{MIME} object from the article and replace it with some
11500 information about the removed @acronym{MIME} object
11501 (@code{gnus-mime-delete-part}).
11503 @c FIXME: gnus-auto-select-part should be documented here
11505 @findex gnus-mime-copy-part
11507 @kindex c (Article)
11508 Copy the @acronym{MIME} object to a fresh buffer and display this buffer
11509 (@code{gnus-mime-copy-part}). If given a prefix, copy the raw contents
11510 without decoding. If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual
11511 charset stuff (see @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist} in
11512 @ref{Paging the Article}). Compressed files like @file{.gz} and
11513 @file{.bz2} are automatically decompressed if
11514 @code{auto-compression-mode} is enabled (@pxref{Compressed Files,,
11515 Accessing Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Editor}).
11517 @findex gnus-mime-print-part
11519 @kindex p (Article)
11520 Print the @acronym{MIME} object (@code{gnus-mime-print-part}). This
11521 command respects the @samp{print=} specifications in the
11522 @file{.mailcap} file.
11524 @findex gnus-mime-inline-part
11526 @kindex i (Article)
11527 Insert the contents of the @acronym{MIME} object into the buffer
11528 (@code{gnus-mime-inline-part}) as text/plain. If given a prefix, insert
11529 the raw contents without decoding. If given a numerical prefix, you can
11530 do semi-manual charset stuff (see
11531 @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist} in @ref{Paging the
11532 Article}). Compressed files like @file{.gz} and @file{.bz2} are
11533 automatically decompressed depending on @code{jka-compr} regardless of
11534 @code{auto-compression-mode} (@pxref{Compressed Files,, Accessing
11535 Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Editor}).
11537 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-internally
11539 @kindex E (Article)
11540 View the @acronym{MIME} object with an internal viewer. If no internal
11541 viewer is available, use an external viewer
11542 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-internally}).
11544 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-externally
11546 @kindex e (Article)
11547 View the @acronym{MIME} object with an external viewer.
11548 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-externally}).
11550 @findex gnus-mime-pipe-part
11552 @kindex | (Article)
11553 Output the @acronym{MIME} object to a process (@code{gnus-mime-pipe-part}).
11555 @findex gnus-mime-action-on-part
11557 @kindex . (Article)
11558 Interactively run an action on the @acronym{MIME} object
11559 (@code{gnus-mime-action-on-part}).
11563 Gnus will display some @acronym{MIME} objects automatically. The way Gnus
11564 determines which parts to do this with is described in the Emacs
11565 @acronym{MIME} manual.
11567 It might be best to just use the toggling functions from the article
11568 buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance, you enter the
11569 group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it, @acronym{MIME} has
11570 decoded the sound file in the article and some horrible sing-a-long song
11571 comes screaming out your speakers, and you can't find the volume button,
11572 because there isn't one, and people are starting to look at you, and you
11573 try to stop the program, but you can't, and you can't find the program
11574 to control the volume, and everybody else in the room suddenly decides
11575 to look at you disdainfully, and you'll feel rather stupid.)
11577 Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
11579 Also @pxref{MIME Commands}.
11582 @node Customizing Articles
11583 @section Customizing Articles
11584 @cindex article customization
11586 A slew of functions for customizing how the articles are to look like
11587 exist. You can call these functions interactively
11588 (@pxref{Article Washing}), or you can have them
11589 called automatically when you select the articles.
11591 To have them called automatically, you should set the corresponding
11592 ``treatment'' variable. For instance, to have headers hidden, you'd set
11593 @code{gnus-treat-hide-headers}. Below is a list of variables that can
11594 be set, but first we discuss the values these variables can have.
11596 Note: Some values, while valid, make little sense. Check the list below
11597 for sensible values.
11601 @code{nil}: Don't do this treatment.
11604 @code{t}: Do this treatment on all body parts.
11607 @code{head}: Do the treatment on the headers.
11610 @code{first}: Do this treatment on the first body part.
11613 @code{last}: Do this treatment on the last body part.
11616 An integer: Do this treatment on all body parts that have a length less
11620 A list of strings: Do this treatment on all body parts that are in
11621 articles that are read in groups that have names that match one of the
11622 regexps in the list.
11625 A list where the first element is not a string:
11627 The list is evaluated recursively. The first element of the list is a
11628 predicate. The following predicates are recognized: @code{or},
11629 @code{and}, @code{not} and @code{typep}. Here's an example:
11633 (typep "text/x-vcard"))
11638 You may have noticed that the word @dfn{part} is used here. This refers
11639 to the fact that some messages are @acronym{MIME} multipart articles that may
11640 be divided into several parts. Articles that are not multiparts are
11641 considered to contain just a single part.
11643 @vindex gnus-article-treat-types
11644 Are the treatments applied to all sorts of multipart parts? Yes, if you
11645 want to, but by default, only @samp{text/plain} parts are given the
11646 treatment. This is controlled by the @code{gnus-article-treat-types}
11647 variable, which is a list of regular expressions that are matched to the
11648 type of the part. This variable is ignored if the value of the
11649 controlling variable is a predicate list, as described above.
11652 @c Avoid sort of redundant entries in the same section for the printed
11653 @c manual, but add them in info to allow `i gnus-treat-foo-bar RET' or
11655 @vindex gnus-treat-buttonize
11656 @vindex gnus-treat-buttonize-head
11657 @vindex gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences
11658 @vindex gnus-treat-overstrike
11659 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-cr
11660 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body
11661 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines
11662 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines
11663 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-pem
11664 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines
11665 @vindex gnus-treat-unsplit-urls
11666 @vindex gnus-treat-wash-html
11667 @vindex gnus-treat-date-english
11668 @vindex gnus-treat-date-iso8601
11669 @vindex gnus-treat-date-lapsed
11670 @vindex gnus-treat-date-local
11671 @vindex gnus-treat-date-original
11672 @vindex gnus-treat-date-user-defined
11673 @vindex gnus-treat-date-ut
11674 @vindex gnus-treat-from-picon
11675 @vindex gnus-treat-mail-picon
11676 @vindex gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon
11677 @vindex gnus-treat-display-smileys
11678 @vindex gnus-treat-body-boundary
11679 @vindex gnus-treat-display-x-face
11680 @vindex gnus-treat-display-face
11681 @vindex gnus-treat-emphasize
11682 @vindex gnus-treat-fill-article
11683 @vindex gnus-treat-fill-long-lines
11684 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers
11685 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-citation
11686 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe
11687 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-headers
11688 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-signature
11689 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-banner
11690 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-list-identifiers
11691 @vindex gnus-treat-highlight-citation
11692 @vindex gnus-treat-highlight-headers
11693 @vindex gnus-treat-highlight-signature
11694 @vindex gnus-treat-play-sounds
11695 @vindex gnus-treat-translate
11696 @vindex gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig
11697 @vindex gnus-treat-unfold-headers
11698 @vindex gnus-treat-fold-headers
11699 @vindex gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups
11700 @vindex gnus-treat-leading-whitespace
11703 The following treatment options are available. The easiest way to
11704 customize this is to examine the @code{gnus-article-treat} customization
11705 group. Values in parenthesis are suggested sensible values. Others are
11706 possible but those listed are probably sufficient for most people.
11709 @item gnus-treat-buttonize (t, integer)
11710 @item gnus-treat-buttonize-head (head)
11712 @xref{Article Buttons}.
11714 @item gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences (t, integer)
11715 @item gnus-treat-overstrike (t, integer)
11716 @item gnus-treat-strip-cr (t, integer)
11717 @item gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body (t, integer)
11718 @item gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines (t, first, integer)
11719 @item gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines (t, integer)
11720 @item gnus-treat-strip-pem (t, last, integer)
11721 @item gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines (t, last, integer)
11722 @item gnus-treat-unsplit-urls (t, integer)
11723 @item gnus-treat-wash-html (t, integer)
11725 @xref{Article Washing}.
11727 @item gnus-treat-date-english (head)
11728 @item gnus-treat-date-iso8601 (head)
11729 @item gnus-treat-date-lapsed (head)
11730 @item gnus-treat-date-local (head)
11731 @item gnus-treat-date-original (head)
11732 @item gnus-treat-date-user-defined (head)
11733 @item gnus-treat-date-ut (head)
11735 @xref{Article Date}.
11737 @item gnus-treat-from-picon (head)
11738 @item gnus-treat-mail-picon (head)
11739 @item gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon (head)
11743 @item gnus-treat-display-smileys (t, integer)
11745 @item gnus-treat-body-boundary (head)
11747 @vindex gnus-body-boundary-delimiter
11748 Adds a delimiter between header and body, the string used as delimiter
11749 is controlled by @code{gnus-body-boundary-delimiter}.
11753 @vindex gnus-treat-display-x-face
11754 @item gnus-treat-display-x-face (head)
11758 @vindex gnus-treat-display-face
11759 @item gnus-treat-display-face (head)
11763 @vindex gnus-treat-emphasize
11764 @item gnus-treat-emphasize (t, head, integer)
11765 @vindex gnus-treat-fill-article
11766 @item gnus-treat-fill-article (t, integer)
11767 @vindex gnus-treat-fill-long-lines
11768 @item gnus-treat-fill-long-lines (t, integer)
11769 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers
11770 @item gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers (head)
11771 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-citation
11772 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation (t, integer)
11773 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe
11774 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe (t, integer)
11775 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-headers
11776 @item gnus-treat-hide-headers (head)
11777 @vindex gnus-treat-hide-signature
11778 @item gnus-treat-hide-signature (t, last)
11779 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-banner
11780 @item gnus-treat-strip-banner (t, last)
11781 @vindex gnus-treat-strip-list-identifiers
11782 @item gnus-treat-strip-list-identifiers (head)
11784 @xref{Article Hiding}.
11786 @vindex gnus-treat-highlight-citation
11787 @item gnus-treat-highlight-citation (t, integer)
11788 @vindex gnus-treat-highlight-headers
11789 @item gnus-treat-highlight-headers (head)
11790 @vindex gnus-treat-highlight-signature
11791 @item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last, integer)
11793 @xref{Article Highlighting}.
11795 @vindex gnus-treat-play-sounds
11796 @item gnus-treat-play-sounds
11797 @vindex gnus-treat-translate
11798 @item gnus-treat-translate
11799 @item gnus-treat-ansi-sequences (t)
11800 @vindex gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig
11801 @item gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig (head)
11803 @vindex gnus-treat-unfold-headers
11804 @item gnus-treat-unfold-headers (head)
11805 @vindex gnus-treat-fold-headers
11806 @item gnus-treat-fold-headers (head)
11807 @vindex gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups
11808 @item gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups (head)
11809 @vindex gnus-treat-leading-whitespace
11810 @item gnus-treat-leading-whitespace (head)
11812 @xref{Article Header}.
11817 @vindex gnus-part-display-hook
11818 You can, of course, write your own functions to be called from
11819 @code{gnus-part-display-hook}. The functions are called narrowed to the
11820 part, and you can do anything you like, pretty much. There is no
11821 information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can change
11825 @node Article Keymap
11826 @section Article Keymap
11828 Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
11829 article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
11830 buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
11831 buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
11834 @kindex v (Article)
11835 @cindex keys, reserved for users (Article)
11836 The key @kbd{v} is reserved for users. You can bind it to some
11837 command or better use it as a prefix key.
11839 A few additional keystrokes are available:
11844 @kindex SPACE (Article)
11845 @findex gnus-article-next-page
11846 Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
11847 This is exactly the same as @kbd{h SPACE h}.
11850 @kindex DEL (Article)
11851 @findex gnus-article-prev-page
11852 Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
11853 This is exactly the same as @kbd{h DEL h}.
11856 @kindex C-c ^ (Article)
11857 @findex gnus-article-refer-article
11858 If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
11859 @kbd{C-c ^}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
11860 (@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
11863 @kindex C-c C-m (Article)
11864 @findex gnus-article-mail
11865 Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
11866 given a prefix, include the mail.
11869 @kindex s (Article)
11870 @findex gnus-article-show-summary
11871 Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
11872 (@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
11875 @kindex ? (Article)
11876 @findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
11877 Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
11878 (@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
11881 @kindex TAB (Article)
11882 @findex gnus-article-next-button
11883 Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}). This
11884 only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
11887 @kindex M-TAB (Article)
11888 @findex gnus-article-prev-button
11889 Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}).
11892 @kindex R (Article)
11893 @findex gnus-article-reply-with-original
11894 Send a reply to the current article and yank the current article
11895 (@code{gnus-article-reply-with-original}). If given a prefix, make a
11896 wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
11900 @kindex F (Article)
11901 @findex gnus-article-followup-with-original
11902 Send a followup to the current article and yank the current article
11903 (@code{gnus-article-followup-with-original}). If given a prefix, make
11904 a wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
11912 @section Misc Article
11916 @item gnus-single-article-buffer
11917 @vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
11918 @cindex article buffers, several
11919 If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
11920 (This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
11923 @vindex gnus-article-decode-hook
11924 @item gnus-article-decode-hook
11925 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
11926 Hook used to decode @acronym{MIME} articles. The default value is
11927 @code{(article-decode-charset article-decode-encoded-words)}
11929 @vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
11930 @item gnus-article-prepare-hook
11931 This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
11932 article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
11933 depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
11934 the contents of the article buffer.
11936 @item gnus-article-mode-hook
11937 @vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
11938 Hook called in article mode buffers.
11940 @item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
11941 @vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
11942 Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
11943 @code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
11945 @vindex gnus-article-over-scroll
11946 @item gnus-article-over-scroll
11947 If non-@code{nil}, allow scrolling the article buffer even when there
11948 no more new text to scroll in. The default is @code{nil}.
11950 @vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
11951 @item gnus-article-mode-line-format
11952 This variable is a format string along the same lines as
11953 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Summary Buffer Mode
11954 Line}). It accepts the same format specifications as that variable,
11955 with two extensions:
11960 The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
11961 character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
11962 performed. The characters and their meaning:
11967 Displayed when cited text may be hidden in the article buffer.
11970 Displayed when headers are hidden in the article buffer.
11973 Displayed when article is digitally signed or encrypted, and Gnus has
11974 hidden the security headers. (N.B. does not tell anything about
11975 security status, i.e. good or bad signature.)
11978 Displayed when the signature has been hidden in the Article buffer.
11981 Displayed when Gnus has treated overstrike characters in the article buffer.
11984 Displayed when Gnus has treated emphasised strings in the article buffer.
11989 The number of @acronym{MIME} parts in the article.
11993 @vindex gnus-break-pages
11995 @item gnus-break-pages
11996 Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
11997 is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
11998 page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
11999 paging will not be done.
12001 @item gnus-page-delimiter
12002 @vindex gnus-page-delimiter
12003 This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
12007 @cindex internationalized domain names
12008 @vindex gnus-use-idna
12009 @item gnus-use-idna
12010 This variable controls whether Gnus performs IDNA decoding of
12011 internationalized domain names inside @samp{From}, @samp{To} and
12012 @samp{Cc} headers. @xref{IDNA, ,IDNA,message, The Message Manual},
12013 for how to compose such messages. This requires
12014 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/libidn/, GNU Libidn}, and this
12015 variable is only enabled if you have installed it.
12020 @node Composing Messages
12021 @chapter Composing Messages
12022 @cindex composing messages
12025 @cindex sending mail
12030 @cindex using s/mime
12031 @cindex using smime
12033 @kindex C-c C-c (Post)
12034 All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
12035 where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the
12036 article by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Overview, message,
12037 Message Manual}. Where the message will be posted/mailed to depends
12038 on your setup (@pxref{Posting Server}).
12041 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
12042 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
12043 * POP before SMTP:: You cannot send a mail unless you read a mail.
12044 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
12045 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
12046 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
12047 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
12048 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
12049 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
12052 Also @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
12053 remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
12059 Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
12062 @item gnus-uu-digest-headers
12063 @vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
12064 List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
12065 headers will be included in the sequence they are matched. If
12066 @code{nil} include all headers.
12068 @item gnus-add-to-list
12069 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
12070 If non-@code{nil}, add a @code{to-list} group parameter to mail groups
12071 that have none when you do a @kbd{a}.
12073 @item gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
12074 @vindex gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
12075 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you for a confirmation when you are
12076 about to reply to news articles by mail. If it is @code{nil}, nothing
12077 interferes in what you want to do. This can also be a function
12078 receiving the group name as the only parameter which should return
12079 non-@code{nil} if a confirmation is needed, or a regular expression
12080 matching group names, where confirmation should be asked for.
12082 If you find yourself never wanting to reply to mail, but occasionally
12083 press @kbd{R} anyway, this variable might be for you.
12085 @item gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
12086 @vindex gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
12087 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus also requests confirmation according to
12088 @code{gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news} when replying to mail. This is
12089 useful for treating mailing lists like newsgroups.
12094 @node Posting Server
12095 @section Posting Server
12097 When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
12098 (extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
12100 Thank you for asking. I hate you.
12102 It can be quite complicated.
12104 @vindex gnus-post-method
12105 When posting news, Message usually invokes @code{message-send-news}
12106 (@pxref{News Variables, , News Variables, message, Message Manual}).
12107 Normally, Gnus will post using the same select method as you're
12108 reading from (which might be convenient if you're reading lots of
12109 groups from different private servers). However. If the server
12110 you're reading from doesn't allow posting, just reading, you probably
12111 want to use some other server to post your (extremely intelligent and
12112 fabulously interesting) articles. You can then set the
12113 @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
12116 (setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
12119 Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
12120 this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
12121 can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
12122 the ``current'' server, to get back the default behavior, for posting.
12124 If you give a zero prefix (i.e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
12125 Gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
12127 You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
12128 If that's the case, Gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
12131 Finally, if you want to always post using the native select method,
12132 you can set this variable to @code{native}.
12134 When sending mail, Message invokes @code{message-send-mail-function}.
12135 The default function, @code{message-send-mail-with-sendmail}, pipes
12136 your article to the @code{sendmail} binary for further queuing and
12137 sending. When your local system is not configured for sending mail
12138 using @code{sendmail}, and you have access to a remote @acronym{SMTP}
12139 server, you can set @code{message-send-mail-function} to
12140 @code{smtpmail-send-it} and make sure to setup the @code{smtpmail}
12141 package correctly. An example:
12144 (setq message-send-mail-function 'smtpmail-send-it
12145 smtpmail-default-smtp-server "YOUR SMTP HOST")
12148 To the thing similar to this, there is
12149 @code{message-smtpmail-send-it}. It is useful if your @acronym{ISP}
12150 requires the @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP} authentication.
12151 @xref{POP before SMTP}.
12153 Other possible choices for @code{message-send-mail-function} includes
12154 @code{message-send-mail-with-mh}, @code{message-send-mail-with-qmail},
12155 and @code{feedmail-send-it}.
12157 @node POP before SMTP
12158 @section POP before SMTP
12159 @cindex pop before smtp
12160 @findex message-smtpmail-send-it
12161 @findex mail-source-touch-pop
12163 Does your @acronym{ISP} require the @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP}
12164 authentication? It is whether you need to connect to the @acronym{POP}
12165 mail server within a certain time before sending mails. If so, there is
12166 a convenient way. To do that, put the following lines in your
12167 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
12170 (setq message-send-mail-function 'message-smtpmail-send-it)
12171 (add-hook 'message-send-mail-hook 'mail-source-touch-pop)
12175 It means to let Gnus connect to the @acronym{POP} mail server in advance
12176 whenever you send a mail. The @code{mail-source-touch-pop} function
12177 does only a @acronym{POP} authentication according to the value of
12178 @code{mail-sources} without fetching mails, just before sending a mail.
12179 Note that you have to use @code{message-smtpmail-send-it} which runs
12180 @code{message-send-mail-hook} rather than @code{smtpmail-send-it} and
12181 set the value of @code{mail-sources} for a @acronym{POP} connection
12182 correctly. @xref{Mail Sources}.
12184 If you have two or more @acronym{POP} mail servers set in
12185 @code{mail-sources}, you may want to specify one of them to
12186 @code{mail-source-primary-source} as the @acronym{POP} mail server to be
12187 used for the @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP} authentication. If it
12188 is your primary @acronym{POP} mail server (i.e., you are fetching mails
12189 mainly from that server), you can set it permanently as follows:
12192 (setq mail-source-primary-source
12193 '(pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
12194 :password "secret"))
12198 Otherwise, bind it dynamically only when performing the
12199 @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP} authentication as follows:
12202 (add-hook 'message-send-mail-hook
12204 (let ((mail-source-primary-source
12205 '(pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
12206 :password "secret")))
12207 (mail-source-touch-pop))))
12210 @node Mail and Post
12211 @section Mail and Post
12213 Here's a list of variables relevant to both mailing and
12217 @item gnus-mailing-list-groups
12218 @findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
12219 @cindex mailing lists
12221 If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists
12222 gatewayed to the @acronym{NNTP} server, you can read those groups without
12223 problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
12224 One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
12225 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
12226 @code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that matches the groups that
12227 really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
12228 lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
12229 still a pain, though.
12231 @item gnus-user-agent
12232 @vindex gnus-user-agent
12235 This variable controls which information should be exposed in the
12236 User-Agent header. It can be a list of symbols or a string. Valid
12237 symbols are @code{gnus} (show Gnus version) and @code{emacs} (show Emacs
12238 version). In addition to the Emacs version, you can add @code{codename}
12239 (show (S)XEmacs codename) or either @code{config} (show system
12240 configuration) or @code{type} (show system type). If you set it to a
12241 string, be sure to use a valid format, see RFC 2616.
12245 You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
12246 you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
12247 spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
12250 @findex ispell-message
12252 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
12255 If you want to change the @code{ispell} dictionary based on what group
12256 you're in, you could say something like the following:
12259 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook
12263 "^de\\." (gnus-group-real-name gnus-newsgroup-name))
12264 (ispell-change-dictionary "deutsch"))
12266 (ispell-change-dictionary "english")))))
12269 Modify to suit your needs.
12271 @vindex gnus-message-highlight-citation
12272 If @code{gnus-message-highlight-citation} is t, different levels of
12273 citations are highlighted like in Gnus article buffers also in message
12276 @node Archived Messages
12277 @section Archived Messages
12278 @cindex archived messages
12279 @cindex sent messages
12281 Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail and news you
12282 send. The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to
12283 store the messages. If you want to disable this completely, the
12284 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}, which
12287 For archiving interesting messages in a group you read, see the
12288 @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}) command (@pxref{Mail
12291 @vindex gnus-message-archive-method
12292 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server Gnus is to
12293 use to store sent messages. The default is @code{"archive"}, and when
12294 actually being used it is expanded into:
12297 (nnfolder "archive"
12298 (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive")
12299 (nnfolder-active-file "~/Mail/archive/active")
12300 (nnfolder-get-new-mail nil)
12301 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t))
12305 @vindex gnus-update-message-archive-method
12306 Note: a server like this is saved in the @file{~/.newsrc.eld} file first
12307 so that it may be used as a real method of the server which is named
12308 @code{"archive"} (that is, for the case where
12309 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} is set to @code{"archive"}) ever
12310 since. If it once has been saved, it will never be updated by default
12311 even if you change the value of @code{gnus-message-archive-method}
12312 afterward. Therefore, the server @code{"archive"} doesn't necessarily
12313 mean the @code{nnfolder} server like this at all times. If you want the
12314 saved method to reflect always the value of
12315 @code{gnus-message-archive-method}, set the
12316 @code{gnus-update-message-archive-method} variable to a non-@code{nil}
12317 value. The default value of this variable is @code{nil}.
12320 You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
12321 @code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likable select method
12322 for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
12323 directory chosen, you could say something like:
12326 (setq gnus-message-archive-method
12327 '(nnfolder "archive"
12328 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
12329 (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
12330 (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
12333 @vindex gnus-message-archive-group
12335 Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
12336 to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
12337 determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
12339 This variable can be used to do the following:
12343 Messages will be saved in that group.
12345 Note that you can include a select method in the group name, then the
12346 message will not be stored in the select method given by
12347 @code{gnus-message-archive-method}, but in the select method specified
12348 by the group name, instead. Suppose @code{gnus-message-archive-method}
12349 has the default value shown above. Then setting
12350 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{"foo"} means that outgoing
12351 messages are stored in @samp{nnfolder+archive:foo}, but if you use the
12352 value @code{"nnml:foo"}, then outgoing messages will be stored in
12355 @item a list of strings
12356 Messages will be saved in all those groups.
12358 @item an alist of regexps, functions and forms
12359 When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
12362 No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
12367 Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
12369 (setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
12372 Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
12374 (setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
12377 Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
12379 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
12380 '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
12381 ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
12382 (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
12385 More complex stuff:
12387 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
12388 '((if (message-news-p)
12393 How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
12394 messages in one file per month:
12397 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
12398 '((if (message-news-p)
12400 (concat "mail." (format-time-string "%Y-%m")))))
12403 @c (XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
12404 @c use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.)
12406 Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
12407 group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
12408 you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
12409 archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
12410 Gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
12411 enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
12412 group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
12413 if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
12414 nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
12415 continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
12417 That's the default method of archiving sent messages. Gnus offers a
12418 different way for the people who don't like the default method. In that
12419 case you should set @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil};
12420 this will disable archiving.
12423 @item gnus-outgoing-message-group
12424 @vindex gnus-outgoing-message-group
12425 All outgoing messages will be put in this group. If you want to store
12426 all your outgoing mail and articles in the group @samp{nnml:archive},
12427 you set this variable to that value. This variable can also be a list of
12430 If you want to have greater control over what group to put each
12431 message in, you can set this variable to a function that checks the
12432 current newsgroup name and then returns a suitable group name (or list
12435 This variable can be used instead of @code{gnus-message-archive-group},
12436 but the latter is the preferred method.
12438 @item gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
12439 @vindex gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
12440 If non-@code{nil}, automatically mark @code{Gcc} articles as read.
12442 @item gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
12443 @vindex gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
12444 If @code{nil}, attach files as normal parts in Gcc copies; if a regexp
12445 and matches the Gcc group name, attach files as external parts; if it is
12446 @code{all}, attach local files as external parts; if it is other
12447 non-@code{nil}, the behavior is the same as @code{all}, but it may be
12448 changed in the future.
12453 @node Posting Styles
12454 @section Posting Styles
12455 @cindex posting styles
12458 All them variables, they make my head swim.
12460 So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
12461 on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
12462 and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
12465 @vindex gnus-posting-styles
12466 One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
12467 variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
12468 came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
12469 a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
12474 (signature "Peace and happiness")
12475 (organization "What me?"))
12477 (signature "Death to everybody"))
12478 ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
12479 (organization "Emacs is it")))
12482 As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
12483 @dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
12484 ``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
12485 over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
12486 applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
12487 the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
12488 @samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
12489 signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
12491 The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
12492 string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
12493 If it is the form @code{(header @var{match} @var{regexp})}, then Gnus
12494 will look in the original article for a header whose name is
12495 @var{match} and compare that @var{regexp}. @var{match} and
12496 @var{regexp} are strings. (The original article is the one you are
12497 replying or following up to. If you are not composing a reply or a
12498 followup, then there is nothing to match against.) If the
12499 @code{match} is a function symbol, that function will be called with
12500 no arguments. If it's a variable symbol, then the variable will be
12501 referenced. If it's a list, then that list will be @code{eval}ed. In
12502 any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil} value, then the style is
12503 said to @dfn{match}.
12505 Each style may contain an arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
12506 attribute consists of a @code{(@var{name} @var{value})} pair. In
12507 addition, you can also use the @code{(@var{name} :file @var{value})}
12508 form or the @code{(@var{name} :value @var{value})} form. Where
12509 @code{:file} signifies @var{value} represents a file name and its
12510 contents should be used as the attribute value, @code{:value} signifies
12511 @var{value} does not represent a file name explicitly. The attribute
12512 name can be one of:
12515 @item @code{signature}
12516 @item @code{signature-file}
12517 @item @code{x-face-file}
12518 @item @code{address}, overriding @code{user-mail-address}
12519 @item @code{name}, overriding @code{(user-full-name)}
12523 Note that the @code{signature-file} attribute honors the variable
12524 @code{message-signature-directory}.
12526 The attribute name can also be a string or a symbol. In that case,
12527 this will be used as a header name, and the value will be inserted in
12528 the headers of the article; if the value is @code{nil}, the header
12529 name will be removed. If the attribute name is @code{eval}, the form
12530 is evaluated, and the result is thrown away.
12532 The attribute value can be a string (used verbatim), a function with
12533 zero arguments (the return value will be used), a variable (its value
12534 will be used) or a list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value
12535 will be used). The functions and sexps are called/@code{eval}ed in the
12536 message buffer that is being set up. The headers of the current article
12537 are available through the @code{message-reply-headers} variable, which
12538 is a vector of the following headers: number subject from date id
12539 references chars lines xref extra.
12541 @vindex message-reply-headers
12543 If you wish to check whether the message you are about to compose is
12544 meant to be a news article or a mail message, you can check the values
12545 of the @code{message-news-p} and @code{message-mail-p} functions.
12547 @findex message-mail-p
12548 @findex message-news-p
12550 So here's a new example:
12553 (setq gnus-posting-styles
12555 (signature-file "~/.signature")
12557 (x-face-file "~/.xface")
12558 (x-url (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
12559 (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
12561 (signature my-funny-signature-randomizer))
12562 ((equal (system-name) "gnarly") ;; @r{A form}
12563 (signature my-quote-randomizer))
12564 (message-news-p ;; @r{A function symbol}
12565 (signature my-news-signature))
12566 (window-system ;; @r{A value symbol}
12567 ("X-Window-System" (format "%s" window-system)))
12568 ;; @r{If I'm replying to Larsi, set the Organization header.}
12569 ((header "from" "larsi.*org")
12570 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
12571 ((posting-from-work-p) ;; @r{A user defined function}
12572 (signature-file "~/.work-signature")
12573 (address "user@@bar.foo")
12574 (body "You are fired.\n\nSincerely, your boss.")
12575 (organization "Important Work, Inc"))
12577 (From (save-excursion
12578 (set-buffer gnus-article-buffer)
12579 (message-fetch-field "to"))))
12581 (signature-file "~/.mail-signature"))))
12584 The @samp{nnml:.*} rule means that you use the @code{To} address as the
12585 @code{From} address in all your outgoing replies, which might be handy
12586 if you fill many roles.
12587 You may also use @code{message-alternative-emails} instead.
12588 @xref{Message Headers, ,Message Headers, message, Message Manual}.
12594 If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
12595 you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
12596 craaazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save
12597 the message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some
12598 other day, and send it when you feel its finished.
12600 Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
12601 some sort using the Gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
12602 automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
12603 If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
12604 article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
12608 @vindex nndraft-directory
12609 The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
12610 @code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
12611 @samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{nndraft-directory} says where
12612 @code{nndraft} is to store its files. What makes this group special is
12613 that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any articles as
12614 read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
12616 If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
12617 to it. The only way to make it disappear from the Group buffer is to
12618 unsubscribe it. The special properties of the draft group comes from
12619 a group property (@pxref{Group Parameters}), and if lost the group
12620 behaves like any other group. This means the commands below will not
12621 be available. To restore the special properties of the group, the
12622 simplest way is to kill the group, using @kbd{C-k}, and restart
12623 Gnus. The group is automatically created again with the
12624 correct parameters. The content of the group is not lost.
12626 @c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
12627 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
12628 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
12629 @c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
12630 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
12631 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
12632 @c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
12633 @c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
12634 @c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
12635 @c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
12636 @c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
12637 @c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
12638 @c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
12639 @c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
12641 @c @vindex gnus-use-draft
12642 @c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
12643 @c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
12645 @findex gnus-draft-edit-message
12646 @kindex D e (Draft)
12647 When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
12648 draft group and push @kbd{D e} (@code{gnus-draft-edit-message}) to do
12649 that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
12651 Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
12654 @findex gnus-draft-send-all-messages
12655 @kindex D s (Draft)
12656 @findex gnus-draft-send-message
12657 @kindex D S (Draft)
12658 If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
12659 doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{D s} command
12660 (@code{gnus-draft-send-message}). This command understands the
12661 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). The @kbd{D S}
12662 command (@code{gnus-draft-send-all-messages}) will ship off all messages
12665 @findex gnus-draft-toggle-sending
12666 @kindex D t (Draft)
12667 If you have some messages that you wish not to send, you can use the
12668 @kbd{D t} (@code{gnus-draft-toggle-sending}) command to mark the message
12669 as unsendable. This is a toggling command.
12672 @node Rejected Articles
12673 @section Rejected Articles
12674 @cindex rejected articles
12676 Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
12677 doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
12678 @emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
12679 Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
12681 These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of Gnus.
12682 (Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
12683 fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
12684 you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So Gnus saves these
12685 articles until some later time when the server feels better.
12687 The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
12688 (@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
12689 typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
12691 @node Signing and encrypting
12692 @section Signing and encrypting
12694 @cindex using s/mime
12695 @cindex using smime
12697 Gnus can digitally sign and encrypt your messages, using vanilla
12698 @acronym{PGP} format or @acronym{PGP/MIME} or @acronym{S/MIME}. For
12699 decoding such messages, see the @code{mm-verify-option} and
12700 @code{mm-decrypt-option} options (@pxref{Security}).
12702 @vindex gnus-message-replysign
12703 @vindex gnus-message-replyencrypt
12704 @vindex gnus-message-replysignencrypted
12705 Often, you would like to sign replies to people who send you signed
12706 messages. Even more often, you might want to encrypt messages which
12707 are in reply to encrypted messages. Gnus offers
12708 @code{gnus-message-replysign} to enable the former, and
12709 @code{gnus-message-replyencrypt} for the latter. In addition, setting
12710 @code{gnus-message-replysignencrypted} (on by default) will sign
12711 automatically encrypted messages.
12713 Instructing @acronym{MML} to perform security operations on a
12714 @acronym{MIME} part is done using the @kbd{C-c C-m s} key map for
12715 signing and the @kbd{C-c C-m c} key map for encryption, as follows.
12720 @kindex C-c C-m s s (Message)
12721 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-smime
12723 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{S/MIME}.
12726 @kindex C-c C-m s o (Message)
12727 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
12729 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{PGP}.
12732 @kindex C-c C-m s p (Message)
12733 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
12735 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{PGP/MIME}.
12738 @kindex C-c C-m c s (Message)
12739 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-smime
12741 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{S/MIME}.
12744 @kindex C-c C-m c o (Message)
12745 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgp
12747 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{PGP}.
12750 @kindex C-c C-m c p (Message)
12751 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgpmime
12753 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{PGP/MIME}.
12756 @kindex C-c C-m C-n (Message)
12757 @findex mml-unsecure-message
12758 Remove security related @acronym{MML} tags from message.
12762 @xref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}, for more information.
12764 @node Select Methods
12765 @chapter Select Methods
12766 @cindex foreign groups
12767 @cindex select methods
12769 A @dfn{foreign group} is a group not read by the usual (or
12770 default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
12771 @acronym{NNTP} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
12772 personal mail group.
12774 A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
12775 a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
12776 list where the first element says what back end to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
12777 @code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
12778 name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
12779 value may have special meaning for the back end in question.
12781 One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
12782 we do just that (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
12784 The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the back end will recognize the
12787 For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @acronym{NNTP} server
12788 @samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
12789 method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
12790 @samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
12791 back end just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
12793 The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
12796 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
12797 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
12798 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
12799 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
12800 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @acronym{IMAP} client.
12801 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
12802 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
12803 * Email Based Diary:: Using mails to manage diary events in Gnus.
12804 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
12808 @node Server Buffer
12809 @section Server Buffer
12811 Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
12812 one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
12813 connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
12814 one back end or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
12815 the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
12816 back end represents a virtual server.
12818 For instance, the @code{nntp} back end may be used to connect to several
12819 different actual @acronym{NNTP} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
12820 on the same actual @acronym{NNTP} server. You tell Gnus which back end to
12821 use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
12823 These select method specifications can sometimes become quite
12824 complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
12825 @acronym{NNTP} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
12826 hangs if queried for @acronym{NOV} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
12827 Anyway, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
12828 server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
12829 select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
12831 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
12832 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
12835 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
12836 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
12837 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
12838 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
12839 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
12840 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
12841 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
12844 @vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
12845 @code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
12848 @node Server Buffer Format
12849 @subsection Server Buffer Format
12850 @cindex server buffer format
12852 @vindex gnus-server-line-format
12853 You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
12854 @code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
12855 variable, with some simple extensions:
12860 How the news is fetched---the back end name.
12863 The name of this server.
12866 Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
12869 The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
12872 Whether this server is agentized.
12875 @vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
12876 The mode line can also be customized by using the
12877 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable (@pxref{Mode Line
12878 Formatting}). The following specs are understood:
12888 Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
12891 @node Server Commands
12892 @subsection Server Commands
12893 @cindex server commands
12899 @cindex keys, reserved for users (Server)
12900 The key @kbd{v} is reserved for users. You can bind it to some
12901 command or better use it as a prefix key.
12905 @findex gnus-server-add-server
12906 Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
12910 @findex gnus-server-edit-server
12911 Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
12914 @kindex SPACE (Server)
12915 @findex gnus-server-read-server
12916 Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
12920 @findex gnus-server-exit
12921 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
12925 @findex gnus-server-kill-server
12926 Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
12930 @findex gnus-server-yank-server
12931 Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
12935 @findex gnus-server-copy-server
12936 Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
12940 @findex gnus-server-list-servers
12941 List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
12945 @findex gnus-server-scan-server
12946 Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
12947 (@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
12952 @findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
12953 Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
12954 (@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
12955 a mail back end that has gotten out of sync.
12959 @findex gnus-server-compact-server
12961 Compact all groups in the server under point
12962 (@code{gnus-server-compact-server}). Currently implemented only in
12963 nnml (@pxref{Mail Spool}). This removes gaps between article numbers,
12964 hence getting a correct total article count.
12969 @node Example Methods
12970 @subsection Example Methods
12972 Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
12975 (nntp "news.funet.fi")
12978 Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
12984 As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
12985 back end, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
12988 After these two elements, there may be an arbitrary number of
12989 @code{(@var{variable} @var{form})} pairs.
12991 To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
12992 port 15 on that machine. This is what the select method should
12996 (nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
12999 You should read the documentation to each back end to find out what
13000 variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example:
13002 @code{nnmh} is a mail back end that reads a spool-like structure. Say
13003 you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
13004 mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
13008 (nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
13011 (This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
13014 Here's the method for a public spool:
13018 (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
13019 (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
13025 If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @acronym{NNTP}
13026 server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
13027 on the firewall machine and telnet from there to the @acronym{NNTP} server.
13028 Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
13029 should probably look something like this:
13033 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet)
13034 (nntp-via-address "the.firewall.machine")
13035 (nntp-address "the.real.nntp.host")
13036 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
13039 If you want to use the wonderful @code{ssh} program to provide a
13040 compressed connection over the modem line, you could add the following
13041 configuration to the example above:
13044 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
13047 See also @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches}. Here's an example for
13048 an indirect connection:
13050 (setq gnus-select-method
13052 (nntp-address "news.server.example")
13053 (nntp-via-user-name "intermediate_user_name")
13054 (nntp-via-address "intermediate.host.example")
13055 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
13056 (nntp-end-of-line "\n")
13057 (nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches ("-C" "-t" "-e" "none"))
13058 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet)))
13061 If you're behind a firewall, but have direct access to the outside world
13062 through a wrapper command like "runsocks", you could open a socksified
13063 telnet connection to the news server as follows:
13067 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
13068 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-telnet)
13069 (nntp-address "the.news.server")
13070 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
13073 This means that you have to have set up @code{ssh-agent} correctly to
13074 provide automatic authorization, of course. And to get a compressed
13075 connection, you have to have the @samp{Compression} option in the
13076 @code{ssh} @file{config} file.
13079 @node Creating a Virtual Server
13080 @subsection Creating a Virtual Server
13082 If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
13083 articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
13085 First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
13086 would probably be best to use @code{nnml} to read the cache. You
13087 could also use @code{nnspool} or @code{nnmh}, though.
13089 Type @kbd{a nnml RET cache RET}.
13091 You should now have a brand new @code{nnml} virtual server called
13092 @samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
13093 Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
13094 will contain the following:
13104 (nnml-directory "~/News/cache/")
13105 (nnml-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
13108 Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
13109 @kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
13110 buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
13113 @node Server Variables
13114 @subsection Server Variables
13115 @cindex server variables
13116 @cindex server parameters
13118 One sticky point when defining variables (both on back ends and in Emacs
13119 in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other
13120 variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you
13121 change the ``base'' variable after the variables have been loaded, you
13122 won't change the ``derived'' variables.
13124 This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
13125 @code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
13126 directory variables are initialized from that variable, so
13127 @code{nnml-active-file} will be @file{~/Mail/active}. If you define a
13128 new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just
13129 @code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file
13130 variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of
13131 variables for each back end, see each back end's section later in this
13132 manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
13136 (nnml-directory "~/my-mail/")
13137 (nnml-active-file "~/my-mail/active")
13138 (nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups"))
13141 Server variables are often called @dfn{server parameters}.
13143 @node Servers and Methods
13144 @subsection Servers and Methods
13146 Wherever you would normally use a select method
13147 (e.g. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
13148 when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
13149 instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
13153 @node Unavailable Servers
13154 @subsection Unavailable Servers
13156 If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
13157 @code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
13158 with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
13159 will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
13160 actually the case or not.
13162 That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
13163 Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to on server
13164 @samp{nephelococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
13165 away from you and the machine is quite slow, so it takes 1 minute just
13166 to find out that it refuses connection to you today. If Gnus were to
13167 attempt to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't
13168 attempt to do that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'',
13169 it will regard that server as ``down''.
13171 So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
13172 How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
13174 You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{Server Buffer}) and poke it
13175 with the following commands:
13181 @findex gnus-server-open-server
13182 Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
13183 (@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
13187 @findex gnus-server-close-server
13188 Close the connection (if any) to the server
13189 (@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
13193 @findex gnus-server-deny-server
13194 Mark the current server as unreachable
13195 (@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
13198 @kindex M-o (Server)
13199 @findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
13200 Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
13201 (@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
13204 @kindex M-c (Server)
13205 @findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
13206 Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
13207 (@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
13211 @findex gnus-server-remove-denials
13212 Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from any servers
13213 (@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
13217 @findex gnus-server-offline-server
13218 Set server status to offline (@code{gnus-server-offline-server}).
13224 @section Getting News
13225 @cindex reading news
13226 @cindex news back ends
13228 A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
13229 only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @acronym{NNTP} server,
13230 or it can read from a local spool.
13233 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @acronym{NNTP} server.
13234 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
13242 Subscribing to a foreign group from an @acronym{NNTP} server is rather easy.
13243 You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @acronym{NNTP}
13244 server as the, uhm, address.
13246 If the @acronym{NNTP} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
13247 third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
13248 to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
13249 that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
13251 The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
13252 fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
13253 you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
13255 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
13260 @item nntp-server-opened-hook
13261 @vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
13262 @cindex @sc{mode reader}
13264 @cindex authentication
13265 @cindex nntp authentication
13266 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
13267 @findex nntp-send-mode-reader
13268 is run after a connection has been made. It can be used to send
13269 commands to the @acronym{NNTP} server after it has been contacted. By
13270 default it sends the command @code{MODE READER} to the server with the
13271 @code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. This function should always be
13272 present in this hook.
13274 @item nntp-authinfo-function
13275 @vindex nntp-authinfo-function
13276 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
13277 @vindex nntp-authinfo-file
13278 This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @acronym{NNTP}
13279 server. The default function is @code{nntp-send-authinfo}, which looks
13280 through your @file{~/.authinfo} (or whatever you've set the
13281 @code{nntp-authinfo-file} variable to) for applicable entries. If none
13282 are found, it will prompt you for a login name and a password. The
13283 format of the @file{~/.authinfo} file is (almost) the same as the
13284 @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file, which is defined in the @code{ftp}
13285 manual page, but here are the salient facts:
13289 The file contains one or more line, each of which define one server.
13292 Each line may contain an arbitrary number of token/value pairs.
13294 The valid tokens include @samp{machine}, @samp{login}, @samp{password},
13295 @samp{default}. In addition Gnus introduces two new tokens, not present
13296 in the original @file{.netrc}/@code{ftp} syntax, namely @samp{port} and
13297 @samp{force}. (This is the only way the @file{.authinfo} file format
13298 deviates from the @file{.netrc} file format.) @samp{port} is used to
13299 indicate what port on the server the credentials apply to and
13300 @samp{force} is explained below.
13304 Here's an example file:
13307 machine news.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis
13308 machine nntp.ifi.uio.no login larsi force yes
13311 The token/value pairs may appear in any order; @samp{machine} doesn't
13312 have to be first, for instance.
13314 In this example, both login name and password have been supplied for the
13315 former server, while the latter has only the login name listed, and the
13316 user will be prompted for the password. The latter also has the
13317 @samp{force} tag, which means that the authinfo will be sent to the
13318 @var{nntp} server upon connection; the default (i.e., when there is not
13319 @samp{force} tag) is to not send authinfo to the @var{nntp} server
13320 until the @var{nntp} server asks for it.
13322 You can also add @samp{default} lines that will apply to all servers
13323 that don't have matching @samp{machine} lines.
13329 This will force sending @samp{AUTHINFO} commands to all servers not
13330 previously mentioned.
13332 Remember to not leave the @file{~/.authinfo} file world-readable.
13334 @item nntp-server-action-alist
13335 @vindex nntp-server-action-alist
13336 This is a list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
13337 taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
13338 every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
13341 (setq nntp-server-action-alist
13342 '(("innd" (ding))))
13345 You probably don't want to do that, though.
13347 The default value is
13350 '(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
13351 (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook
13352 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
13355 This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
13356 nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
13358 @item nntp-maximum-request
13359 @vindex nntp-maximum-request
13360 If the @acronym{NNTP} server doesn't support @acronym{NOV} headers, this back end
13361 will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
13362 speed things up, the back end sends lots of these commands without
13363 waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
13364 by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
13365 your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
13367 @item nntp-connection-timeout
13368 @vindex nntp-connection-timeout
13369 If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
13370 regularly, you're sure to have problems with @acronym{NNTP} servers not
13371 responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
13372 time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
13373 somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
13374 that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} back end should wait for a
13375 connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
13376 no timeouts are done.
13378 @item nntp-nov-is-evil
13379 @vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
13380 If the @acronym{NNTP} server does not support @acronym{NOV}, you could set this
13381 variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks automatically whether @acronym{NOV}
13384 @item nntp-xover-commands
13385 @vindex nntp-xover-commands
13386 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
13388 List of strings used as commands to fetch @acronym{NOV} lines from a
13389 server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
13393 @vindex nntp-nov-gap
13394 @code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @acronym{NOV} lines to
13395 the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
13396 if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
13397 article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @acronym{NOV}
13398 lines that you will not need. This variable says how
13399 big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
13400 @code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
13401 network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
13402 that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
13403 @code{nntp} will never split requests. The default is 5.
13405 @item nntp-xref-number-is-evil
13406 @vindex nntp-xref-number-is-evil
13407 When Gnus refers to an article having the @code{Message-ID} that a user
13408 specifies or having the @code{Message-ID} of the parent article of the
13409 current one (@pxref{Finding the Parent}), Gnus sends a @code{HEAD}
13410 command to the @acronym{NNTP} server to know where it is, and the server
13411 returns the data containing the pairs of a group and an article number
13412 in the @code{Xref} header. Gnus normally uses the article number to
13413 refer to the article if the data shows that that article is in the
13414 current group, while it uses the @code{Message-ID} otherwise. However,
13415 some news servers, e.g., ones running Diablo, run multiple engines
13416 having the same articles but article numbers are not kept synchronized
13417 between them. In that case, the article number that appears in the
13418 @code{Xref} header varies by which engine is chosen, so you cannot refer
13419 to the parent article that is in the current group, for instance. If
13420 you connect to such a server, set this variable to a non-@code{nil}
13421 value, and Gnus never uses article numbers. For example:
13424 (setq gnus-select-method
13426 (nntp-address "newszilla.example.com")
13427 (nntp-xref-number-is-evil t)
13431 The default value of this server variable is @code{nil}.
13433 @item nntp-prepare-server-hook
13434 @vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
13435 A hook run before attempting to connect to an @acronym{NNTP} server.
13437 @item nntp-record-commands
13438 @vindex nntp-record-commands
13439 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nntp} will log all commands it sends to the
13440 @acronym{NNTP} server (along with a timestamp) in the @samp{*nntp-log*}
13441 buffer. This is useful if you are debugging a Gnus/@acronym{NNTP} connection
13442 that doesn't seem to work.
13444 @item nntp-open-connection-function
13445 @vindex nntp-open-connection-function
13446 It is possible to customize how the connection to the nntp server will
13447 be opened. If you specify an @code{nntp-open-connection-function}
13448 parameter, Gnus will use that function to establish the connection.
13449 Seven pre-made functions are supplied. These functions can be grouped
13450 in two categories: direct connection functions (four pre-made), and
13451 indirect ones (three pre-made).
13453 @item nntp-never-echoes-commands
13454 @vindex nntp-never-echoes-commands
13455 Non-@code{nil} means the nntp server never echoes commands. It is
13456 reported that some nntps server doesn't echo commands. So, you may want
13457 to set this to non-@code{nil} in the method for such a server setting
13458 @code{nntp-open-connection-function} to @code{nntp-open-ssl-stream} for
13459 example. The default value is @code{nil}. Note that the
13460 @code{nntp-open-connection-functions-never-echo-commands} variable
13461 overrides the @code{nil} value of this variable.
13463 @item nntp-open-connection-functions-never-echo-commands
13464 @vindex nntp-open-connection-functions-never-echo-commands
13465 List of functions that never echo commands. Add or set a function which
13466 you set to @code{nntp-open-connection-function} to this list if it does
13467 not echo commands. Note that a non-@code{nil} value of the
13468 @code{nntp-never-echoes-commands} variable overrides this variable. The
13469 default value is @code{(nntp-open-network-stream)}.
13471 @item nntp-prepare-post-hook
13472 @vindex nntp-prepare-post-hook
13473 A hook run just before posting an article. If there is no
13474 @code{Message-ID} header in the article and the news server provides the
13475 recommended ID, it will be added to the article before running this
13476 hook. It is useful to make @code{Cancel-Lock} headers even if you
13477 inhibit Gnus to add a @code{Message-ID} header, you could say:
13480 (add-hook 'nntp-prepare-post-hook 'canlock-insert-header)
13483 Note that not all servers support the recommended ID. This works for
13484 INN versions 2.3.0 and later, for instance.
13489 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
13490 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
13491 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
13492 * NNTP marks:: Storing marks for @acronym{NNTP} servers.
13496 @node Direct Functions
13497 @subsubsection Direct Functions
13498 @cindex direct connection functions
13500 These functions are called direct because they open a direct connection
13501 between your machine and the @acronym{NNTP} server. The behavior of these
13502 functions is also affected by commonly understood variables
13503 (@pxref{Common Variables}).
13506 @findex nntp-open-network-stream
13507 @item nntp-open-network-stream
13508 This is the default, and simply connects to some port or other on the
13511 @findex nntp-open-tls-stream
13512 @item nntp-open-tls-stream
13513 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
13514 this you must have @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gnutls/, GNUTLS}
13515 installed. You then define a server as follows:
13518 ;; @r{"nntps" is port 563 and is predefined in our @file{/etc/services}}
13519 ;; @r{however, @samp{gnutls-cli -p} doesn't like named ports.}
13521 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
13522 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-tls-stream)
13523 (nntp-port-number )
13524 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
13527 @findex nntp-open-ssl-stream
13528 @item nntp-open-ssl-stream
13529 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
13530 this you must have @uref{http://www.openssl.org, OpenSSL} or
13531 @uref{ftp://ftp.psy.uq.oz.au/pub/Crypto/SSL, SSLeay} installed. You
13532 then define a server as follows:
13535 ;; @r{"snews" is port 563 and is predefined in our @file{/etc/services}}
13536 ;; @r{however, @samp{openssl s_client -port} doesn't like named ports.}
13538 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
13539 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-ssl-stream)
13540 (nntp-port-number 563)
13541 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
13544 @findex nntp-open-telnet-stream
13545 @item nntp-open-telnet-stream
13546 Opens a connection to an @acronym{NNTP} server by simply @samp{telnet}'ing
13547 it. You might wonder why this function exists, since we have the
13548 default @code{nntp-open-network-stream} which would do the job. (One
13549 of) the reason(s) is that if you are behind a firewall but have direct
13550 connections to the outside world thanks to a command wrapper like
13551 @code{runsocks}, you can use it like this:
13555 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
13556 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-telnet-stream)
13557 (nntp-address "the.news.server"))
13560 With the default method, you would need to wrap your whole Emacs
13561 session, which is not a good idea.
13565 @node Indirect Functions
13566 @subsubsection Indirect Functions
13567 @cindex indirect connection functions
13569 These functions are called indirect because they connect to an
13570 intermediate host before actually connecting to the @acronym{NNTP} server.
13571 All of these functions and related variables are also said to belong to
13572 the ``via'' family of connection: they're all prefixed with ``via'' to make
13573 things cleaner. The behavior of these functions is also affected by
13574 commonly understood variables (@pxref{Common Variables}).
13577 @item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
13578 @findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
13579 Does an @samp{rlogin} on a remote system, and then does a @samp{telnet}
13580 to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from there. This is useful for instance if
13581 you need to connect to a firewall machine first.
13583 @code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet}-specific variables:
13586 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command
13587 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command
13588 Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
13589 @samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
13591 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
13592 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
13593 List of strings to be used as the switches to
13594 @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}. The default is @code{nil}. If you use
13595 @samp{ssh} for @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}, you may set this to
13596 @samp{("-C")} in order to compress all data connections, otherwise set
13597 this to @samp{("-t" "-e" "none")} or @samp{("-C" "-t" "-e" "none")} if
13598 the telnet command requires a pseudo-tty allocation on an intermediate
13602 Note that you may want to change the value for @code{nntp-end-of-line}
13603 to @samp{\n} (@pxref{Common Variables}).
13605 @item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat
13606 @findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat
13607 Does essentially the same, but uses
13608 @uref{http://netcat.sourceforge.net/, netcat} instead of @samp{telnet}
13609 to connect to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from the intermediate host.
13611 @code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat}-specific variables:
13614 @item nntp-via-netcat-command
13615 @vindex nntp-via-netcat-command
13616 Command used to connect to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from the
13617 intermediate host. The default is @samp{nc}. You can also use other
13618 programs like @uref{http://www.imasy.or.jp/~gotoh/ssh/connect.html,
13621 @item nntp-via-netcat-switches
13622 @vindex nntp-via-netcat-switches
13623 List of strings to be used as the switches to the
13624 @code{nntp-via-telnet-command} command. The default is @code{nil}.
13626 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command
13627 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command
13628 Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
13629 @samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
13631 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
13632 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
13633 List of strings to be used as the switches to
13634 @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}. The default is @code{nil}.
13637 @item nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
13638 @findex nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
13639 Does essentially the same, but uses @samp{telnet} instead of
13640 @samp{rlogin} to connect to the intermediate host.
13642 @code{nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet}-specific variables:
13645 @item nntp-via-telnet-command
13646 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-command
13647 Command used to @code{telnet} the intermediate host. The default is
13650 @item nntp-via-telnet-switches
13651 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-switches
13652 List of strings to be used as the switches to the
13653 @code{nntp-via-telnet-command} command. The default is @samp{("-8")}.
13655 @item nntp-via-user-password
13656 @vindex nntp-via-user-password
13657 Password to use when logging in on the intermediate host.
13659 @item nntp-via-envuser
13660 @vindex nntp-via-envuser
13661 If non-@code{nil}, the intermediate @code{telnet} session (client and
13662 server both) will support the @code{ENVIRON} option and not prompt for
13663 login name. This works for Solaris @code{telnet}, for instance.
13665 @item nntp-via-shell-prompt
13666 @vindex nntp-via-shell-prompt
13667 Regexp matching the shell prompt on the intermediate host. The default
13668 is @samp{bash\\|\$ *\r?$\\|> *\r?}.
13672 Note that you may want to change the value for @code{nntp-end-of-line}
13673 to @samp{\n} (@pxref{Common Variables}).
13677 Here are some additional variables that are understood by all the above
13682 @item nntp-via-user-name
13683 @vindex nntp-via-user-name
13684 User name to use when connecting to the intermediate host.
13686 @item nntp-via-address
13687 @vindex nntp-via-address
13688 Address of the intermediate host to connect to.
13693 @node Common Variables
13694 @subsubsection Common Variables
13696 The following variables affect the behavior of all, or several of the
13697 pre-made connection functions. When not specified, all functions are
13698 affected (the values of the following variables will be used as the
13699 default if each virtual @code{nntp} server doesn't specify those server
13700 variables individually).
13704 @item nntp-pre-command
13705 @vindex nntp-pre-command
13706 A command wrapper to use when connecting through a non native
13707 connection function (all except @code{nntp-open-network-stream},
13708 @code{nntp-open-tls-stream}, and @code{nntp-open-ssl-stream}). This is
13709 where you would put a @samp{SOCKS} wrapper for instance.
13712 @vindex nntp-address
13713 The address of the @acronym{NNTP} server.
13715 @item nntp-port-number
13716 @vindex nntp-port-number
13717 Port number to connect to the @acronym{NNTP} server. The default is
13718 @samp{nntp}. If you use @acronym{NNTP} over
13719 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}, you may want to use integer ports rather
13720 than named ports (i.e, use @samp{563} instead of @samp{snews} or
13721 @samp{nntps}), because external @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} tools may
13722 not work with named ports.
13724 @item nntp-end-of-line
13725 @vindex nntp-end-of-line
13726 String to use as end-of-line marker when talking to the @acronym{NNTP}
13727 server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
13728 using a non native telnet connection function.
13730 @item nntp-telnet-command
13731 @vindex nntp-telnet-command
13732 Command to use when connecting to the @acronym{NNTP} server through
13733 @samp{telnet}. This is @emph{not} for an intermediate host. This is
13734 just for the real @acronym{NNTP} server. The default is
13737 @item nntp-telnet-switches
13738 @vindex nntp-telnet-switches
13739 A list of switches to pass to @code{nntp-telnet-command}. The default
13745 @subsubsection NNTP marks
13746 @cindex storing NNTP marks
13748 Gnus stores marks (@pxref{Marking Articles}) for @acronym{NNTP}
13749 servers in marks files. A marks file records what marks you have set
13750 in a group and each file is specific to the corresponding server.
13751 Marks files are stored in @file{~/News/marks}
13752 (@code{nntp-marks-directory}) under a classic hierarchy resembling
13753 that of a news server, for example marks for the group
13754 @samp{gmane.discuss} on the news.gmane.org server will be stored in
13755 the file @file{~/News/marks/news.gmane.org/gmane/discuss/.marks}.
13757 Marks files are useful because you can copy the @file{~/News/marks}
13758 directory (using rsync, scp or whatever) to another Gnus installation,
13759 and it will realize what articles you have read and marked. The data
13760 in @file{~/News/marks} has priority over the same data in
13761 @file{~/.newsrc.eld}.
13763 Note that marks files are very much server-specific: Gnus remembers
13764 the article numbers so if you don't use the same servers on both
13765 installations things are most likely to break (most @acronym{NNTP}
13766 servers do not use the same article numbers as any other server).
13767 However, if you use servers A, B, C on one installation and servers A,
13768 D, E on the other, you can sync the marks files for A and then you'll
13769 get synchronization for that server between the two installations.
13771 Using @acronym{NNTP} marks can possibly incur a performance penalty so
13772 if Gnus feels sluggish, try setting the @code{nntp-marks-is-evil}
13773 variable to @code{t}. Marks will then be stored in @file{~/.newsrc.eld}.
13779 @item nntp-marks-is-evil
13780 @vindex nntp-marks-is-evil
13781 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any marks files. The
13782 default is @code{nil}.
13784 @item nntp-marks-directory
13785 @vindex nntp-marks-directory
13786 The directory where marks for nntp groups will be stored.
13792 @subsection News Spool
13796 Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
13797 and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
13798 contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
13801 Anyway, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @code{""} (or
13802 anything else) as the address.
13804 If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
13805 native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
13806 than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
13807 You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
13811 @item nnspool-inews-program
13812 @vindex nnspool-inews-program
13813 Program used to post an article.
13815 @item nnspool-inews-switches
13816 @vindex nnspool-inews-switches
13817 Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
13819 @item nnspool-spool-directory
13820 @vindex nnspool-spool-directory
13821 Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
13822 @file{/usr/spool/news/}.
13824 @item nnspool-nov-directory
13825 @vindex nnspool-nov-directory
13826 Where @code{nnspool} will look for @acronym{NOV} files. This is normally@*
13827 @file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
13829 @item nnspool-lib-dir
13830 @vindex nnspool-lib-dir
13831 Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
13833 @item nnspool-active-file
13834 @vindex nnspool-active-file
13835 The name of the active file.
13837 @item nnspool-newsgroups-file
13838 @vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
13839 The name of the group descriptions file.
13841 @item nnspool-history-file
13842 @vindex nnspool-history-file
13843 The name of the news history file.
13845 @item nnspool-active-times-file
13846 @vindex nnspool-active-times-file
13847 The name of the active date file.
13849 @item nnspool-nov-is-evil
13850 @vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
13851 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @acronym{NOV} files
13854 @item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
13855 @vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
13857 If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
13858 relevant portion from the overview file. If @code{nil},
13859 @code{nnspool} will load the entire file into a buffer and process it
13866 @section Getting Mail
13867 @cindex reading mail
13870 Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
13874 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
13875 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
13876 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
13877 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
13878 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
13879 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
13880 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
13881 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
13882 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
13883 * Washing Mail:: Removing cruft from the mail you get.
13884 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
13885 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
13886 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
13890 @node Mail in a Newsreader
13891 @subsection Mail in a Newsreader
13893 If you are used to traditional mail readers, but have decided to switch
13894 to reading mail with Gnus, you may find yourself experiencing something
13895 of a culture shock.
13897 Gnus does not behave like traditional mail readers. If you want to make
13898 it behave that way, you can, but it's an uphill battle.
13900 Gnus, by default, handles all its groups using the same approach. This
13901 approach is very newsreaderly---you enter a group, see the new/unread
13902 messages, and when you read the messages, they get marked as read, and
13903 you don't see them any more. (Unless you explicitly ask for them.)
13905 In particular, you do not do anything explicitly to delete messages.
13907 Does this mean that all the messages that have been marked as read are
13908 deleted? How awful!
13910 But, no, it means that old messages are @dfn{expired} according to some
13911 scheme or other. For news messages, the expire process is controlled by
13912 the news administrator; for mail, the expire process is controlled by
13913 you. The expire process for mail is covered in depth in @ref{Expiring
13916 What many Gnus users find, after using it a while for both news and
13917 mail, is that the transport mechanism has very little to do with how
13918 they want to treat a message.
13920 Many people subscribe to several mailing lists. These are transported
13921 via @acronym{SMTP}, and are therefore mail. But we might go for weeks without
13922 answering, or even reading these messages very carefully. We may not
13923 need to save them because if we should need to read one again, they are
13924 archived somewhere else.
13926 Some people have local news groups which have only a handful of readers.
13927 These are transported via @acronym{NNTP}, and are therefore news. But we may need
13928 to read and answer a large fraction of the messages very carefully in
13929 order to do our work. And there may not be an archive, so we may need
13930 to save the interesting messages the same way we would personal mail.
13932 The important distinction turns out to be not the transport mechanism,
13933 but other factors such as how interested we are in the subject matter,
13934 or how easy it is to retrieve the message if we need to read it again.
13936 Gnus provides many options for sorting mail into ``groups'' which behave
13937 like newsgroups, and for treating each group (whether mail or news)
13940 Some users never get comfortable using the Gnus (ahem) paradigm and wish
13941 that Gnus should grow up and be a male, er, mail reader. It is possible
13942 to whip Gnus into a more mailreaderly being, but, as said before, it's
13943 not easy. People who prefer proper mail readers should try @sc{vm}
13944 instead, which is an excellent, and proper, mail reader.
13946 I don't mean to scare anybody off, but I want to make it clear that you
13947 may be required to learn a new way of thinking about messages. After
13948 you've been subjected to The Gnus Way, you will come to love it. I can
13949 guarantee it. (At least the guy who sold me the Emacs Subliminal
13950 Brain-Washing Functions that I've put into Gnus did guarantee it. You
13951 Will Be Assimilated. You Love Gnus. You Love The Gnus Mail Way.
13955 @node Getting Started Reading Mail
13956 @subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
13958 It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
13959 mail back end of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
13960 and things will happen automatically.
13962 For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a ``one file per
13963 mail'' back end), you could put the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
13966 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
13969 Now, the next time you start Gnus, this back end will be queried for new
13970 articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
13971 directory, which is @file{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
13972 be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
13973 like any other group.
13975 You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
13978 (setq nnmail-split-methods
13979 '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
13980 ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
13984 This will result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
13985 @samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
13986 mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
13989 This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
13990 give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though.
13991 Especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Back End} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
13994 @node Splitting Mail
13995 @subsection Splitting Mail
13996 @cindex splitting mail
13997 @cindex mail splitting
13998 @cindex mail filtering (splitting)
14000 @vindex nnmail-split-methods
14001 The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
14002 to be split into groups.
14005 (setq nnmail-split-methods
14006 '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
14007 ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
14008 ("mail.other" "")))
14011 This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
14012 these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
14013 something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
14014 element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
14015 determine if it belongs in this mail group. The first string may
14016 contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by @code{replace-match} to
14017 insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For instance:
14020 ("list.\\1" "From:.* \\(.*\\)-list@@majordomo.com")
14024 In that case, @code{nnmail-split-lowercase-expanded} controls whether
14025 the inserted text should be made lowercase. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
14027 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
14028 called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
14029 argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
14030 mail belongs in that group.
14032 @cindex @samp{bogus} group
14033 The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
14034 expression should @emph{always} be @samp{""} so that it matches any mails
14035 that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps. (These rules are
14036 processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first rule
14037 to make a match will ``win'', unless you have crossposting enabled. In
14038 that case, all matching rules will ``win''.) If no rule matched, the mail
14039 will end up in the @samp{bogus} group. When new groups are created by
14040 splitting mail, you may want to run @code{gnus-group-find-new-groups} to
14041 see the new groups. This also applies to the @samp{bogus} group.
14043 If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
14044 function of your choice. This function will be called without any
14045 arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
14046 message. The function should return a list of group names that it
14047 thinks should carry this mail message.
14049 Note that the mail back ends are free to maul the poor, innocent,
14050 incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
14051 some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
14052 @code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
14054 @vindex nnmail-crosspost
14055 The mail back ends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
14056 the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
14057 @code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
14058 that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{""}) group.
14060 @vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
14063 @code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
14064 the crossposted articles. However, not all file systems support hard
14065 links. If that's the case for you, set
14066 @code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
14067 variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
14069 @kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
14070 @findex nnmail-split-history
14071 If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
14072 can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command. If you wish to see
14073 where re-spooling messages would put the messages, you can use
14074 @code{gnus-summary-respool-trace} and related commands (@pxref{Mail
14077 @vindex nnmail-split-header-length-limit
14078 Header lines longer than the value of
14079 @code{nnmail-split-header-length-limit} are excluded from the split
14082 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes
14083 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-charset
14084 By default, splitting does not decode headers, so you can not match on
14085 non-@acronym{ASCII} strings. But it is useful if you want to match
14086 articles based on the raw header data. To enable it, set the
14087 @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes} variable to a non-@code{nil} value.
14088 In addition, the value of the @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-charset}
14089 variable is used for decoding non-@acronym{MIME} encoded string when
14090 @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes} is non-@code{nil}. The default
14091 value is @code{nil} which means not to decode non-@acronym{MIME} encoded
14092 string. A suitable value for you will be @code{undecided} or be the
14093 charset used normally in mails you are interested in.
14095 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
14096 By default, splitting is performed on all incoming messages. If you
14097 specify a @code{directory} entry for the variable @code{mail-sources}
14098 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}), however, then splitting does
14099 @emph{not} happen by default. You can set the variable
14100 @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming} to a non-@code{nil} value to make
14101 splitting happen even in this case. (This variable has no effect on
14102 other kinds of entries.)
14104 Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
14105 yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
14106 all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
14107 unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
14108 boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
14109 that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
14110 come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
14111 you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
14112 month's rent money.
14116 @subsection Mail Sources
14118 Mail can be gotten from many different sources---the mail spool, from
14119 a @acronym{POP} mail server, from a procmail directory, or from a
14120 maildir, for instance.
14123 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
14124 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
14125 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
14129 @node Mail Source Specifiers
14130 @subsubsection Mail Source Specifiers
14132 @cindex mail server
14135 @cindex mail source
14137 You tell Gnus how to fetch mail by setting @code{mail-sources}
14138 (@pxref{Fetching Mail}) to a @dfn{mail source specifier}.
14143 (pop :server "pop3.mailserver.com" :user "myname")
14146 As can be observed, a mail source specifier is a list where the first
14147 element is a @dfn{mail source type}, followed by an arbitrary number of
14148 @dfn{keywords}. Keywords that are not explicitly specified are given
14151 The following mail source types are available:
14155 Get mail from a single file; typically from the mail spool.
14161 The file name. Defaults to the value of the @env{MAIL}
14162 environment variable or the value of @code{rmail-spool-directory}
14163 (usually something like @file{/usr/mail/spool/user-name}).
14167 Script run before/after fetching mail.
14170 An example file mail source:
14173 (file :path "/usr/spool/mail/user-name")
14176 Or using the default file name:
14182 If the mail spool file is not located on the local machine, it's best
14183 to use @acronym{POP} or @acronym{IMAP} or the like to fetch the mail.
14184 You can not use ange-ftp file names here---it has no way to lock the
14185 mail spool while moving the mail.
14187 If it's impossible to set up a proper server, you can use ssh instead.
14191 '((file :prescript "ssh host bin/getmail >%t")))
14194 The @samp{getmail} script would look something like the following:
14198 # getmail - move mail from spool to stdout
14201 MOVEMAIL=/usr/lib/emacs/20.3/i386-redhat-linux/movemail
14203 rm -f $TMP; $MOVEMAIL $MAIL $TMP >/dev/null && cat $TMP
14206 Alter this script to fit the @samp{movemail} and temporary
14207 file you want to use.
14211 @vindex nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once
14212 Get mail from several files in a directory. This is typically used
14213 when you have procmail split the incoming mail into several files.
14214 That is, there is a one-to-one correspondence between files in that
14215 directory and groups, so that mail from the file @file{foo.bar.spool}
14216 will be put in the group @code{foo.bar}. (You can change the suffix
14217 to be used instead of @code{.spool}.) Setting
14218 @code{nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once} to non-@code{nil} forces
14219 Gnus to scan the mail source only once. This is particularly useful
14220 if you want to scan mail groups at a specified level.
14222 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
14223 There is also the variable @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming}, if you set
14224 that to a non-@code{nil} value, then the normal splitting process is
14225 applied to all the files from the directory, @ref{Splitting Mail}.
14231 The name of the directory where the files are. There is no default
14235 Only files ending with this suffix are used. The default is
14239 Only files that have this predicate return non-@code{nil} are returned.
14240 The default is @code{identity}. This is used as an additional
14241 filter---only files that have the right suffix @emph{and} satisfy this
14242 predicate are considered.
14246 Script run before/after fetching mail.
14250 An example directory mail source:
14253 (directory :path "/home/user-name/procmail-dir/"
14258 Get mail from a @acronym{POP} server.
14264 The name of the @acronym{POP} server. The default is taken from the
14265 @env{MAILHOST} environment variable.
14268 The port number of the @acronym{POP} server. This can be a number (eg,
14269 @samp{:port 1234}) or a string (eg, @samp{:port "pop3"}). If it is a
14270 string, it should be a service name as listed in @file{/etc/services} on
14271 Unix systems. The default is @samp{"pop3"}. On some systems you might
14272 need to specify it as @samp{"pop-3"} instead.
14275 The user name to give to the @acronym{POP} server. The default is the login
14279 The password to give to the @acronym{POP} server. If not specified,
14280 the user is prompted.
14283 The program to use to fetch mail from the @acronym{POP} server. This
14284 should be a @code{format}-like string. Here's an example:
14287 fetchmail %u@@%s -P %p %t
14290 The valid format specifier characters are:
14294 The name of the file the mail is to be moved to. This must always be
14295 included in this string.
14298 The name of the server.
14301 The port number of the server.
14304 The user name to use.
14307 The password to use.
14310 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
14311 corresponding keywords.
14314 A script to be run before fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
14315 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
14318 A script to be run after fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
14319 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
14322 The function to use to fetch mail from the @acronym{POP} server. The
14323 function is called with one parameter---the name of the file where the
14324 mail should be moved to.
14326 @item :authentication
14327 This can be either the symbol @code{password} or the symbol @code{apop}
14328 and says what authentication scheme to use. The default is
14333 @vindex pop3-movemail
14334 @vindex pop3-leave-mail-on-server
14335 If the @code{:program} and @code{:function} keywords aren't specified,
14336 @code{pop3-movemail} will be used. If @code{pop3-leave-mail-on-server}
14337 is non-@code{nil} the mail is to be left on the @acronym{POP} server
14338 after fetching when using @code{pop3-movemail}. Note that POP servers
14339 maintain no state information between sessions, so what the client
14340 believes is there and what is actually there may not match up. If they
14341 do not, then you may get duplicate mails or the whole thing can fall
14342 apart and leave you with a corrupt mailbox.
14344 Here are some examples for getting mail from a @acronym{POP} server.
14345 Fetch from the default @acronym{POP} server, using the default user
14346 name, and default fetcher:
14352 Fetch from a named server with a named user and password:
14355 (pop :server "my.pop.server"
14356 :user "user-name" :password "secret")
14359 Use @samp{movemail} to move the mail:
14362 (pop :program "movemail po:%u %t %p")
14366 Get mail from a maildir. This is a type of mailbox that is supported by
14367 at least qmail and postfix, where each file in a special directory
14368 contains exactly one mail.
14374 The name of the directory where the mails are stored. The default is
14375 taken from the @env{MAILDIR} environment variable or
14378 The subdirectories of the Maildir. The default is
14379 @samp{("new" "cur")}.
14381 @c If you sometimes look at your mail through a pop3 daemon before fetching
14382 @c them with Gnus, you may also have to fetch your mails from the
14383 @c @code{cur} directory inside the maildir, like in the first example
14386 You can also get mails from remote hosts (because maildirs don't suffer
14387 from locking problems).
14391 Two example maildir mail sources:
14394 (maildir :path "/home/user-name/Maildir/"
14395 :subdirs ("cur" "new"))
14399 (maildir :path "/user@@remotehost.org:~/Maildir/"
14404 Get mail from a @acronym{IMAP} server. If you don't want to use
14405 @acronym{IMAP} as intended, as a network mail reading protocol (ie
14406 with nnimap), for some reason or other, Gnus let you treat it similar
14407 to a @acronym{POP} server and fetches articles from a given
14408 @acronym{IMAP} mailbox. @xref{IMAP}, for more information.
14410 Note that for the Kerberos, GSSAPI, @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} and STARTTLS support you
14411 may need external programs and libraries, @xref{IMAP}.
14417 The name of the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is taken from the
14418 @env{MAILHOST} environment variable.
14421 The port number of the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is @samp{143}, or
14422 @samp{993} for @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} connections.
14425 The user name to give to the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is the login
14429 The password to give to the @acronym{IMAP} server. If not specified, the user is
14433 What stream to use for connecting to the server, this is one of the
14434 symbols in @code{imap-stream-alist}. Right now, this means
14435 @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{starttls}, @samp{tls},
14436 @samp{ssl}, @samp{shell} or the default @samp{network}.
14438 @item :authentication
14439 Which authenticator to use for authenticating to the server, this is
14440 one of the symbols in @code{imap-authenticator-alist}. Right now,
14441 this means @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{digest-md5},
14442 @samp{cram-md5}, @samp{anonymous} or the default @samp{login}.
14445 When using the `shell' :stream, the contents of this variable is
14446 mapped into the @code{imap-shell-program} variable. This should be a
14447 @code{format}-like string (or list of strings). Here's an example:
14453 Make sure nothing is interfering with the output of the program, e.g.,
14454 don't forget to redirect the error output to the void. The valid format
14455 specifier characters are:
14459 The name of the server.
14462 User name from @code{imap-default-user}.
14465 The port number of the server.
14468 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
14469 corresponding keywords.
14472 The name of the mailbox to get mail from. The default is @samp{INBOX}
14473 which normally is the mailbox which receive incoming mail.
14476 The predicate used to find articles to fetch. The default, @samp{UNSEEN
14477 UNDELETED}, is probably the best choice for most people, but if you
14478 sometimes peek in your mailbox with a @acronym{IMAP} client and mark some
14479 articles as read (or; SEEN) you might want to set this to @samp{1:*}.
14480 Then all articles in the mailbox is fetched, no matter what. For a
14481 complete list of predicates, see RFC 2060 section 6.4.4.
14484 How to flag fetched articles on the server, the default @samp{\Deleted}
14485 will mark them as deleted, an alternative would be @samp{\Seen} which
14486 would simply mark them as read. These are the two most likely choices,
14487 but more flags are defined in RFC 2060 section 2.3.2.
14490 If non-@code{nil}, don't remove all articles marked as deleted in the
14491 mailbox after finishing the fetch.
14495 An example @acronym{IMAP} mail source:
14498 (imap :server "mail.mycorp.com"
14500 :fetchflag "\\Seen")
14504 Get mail from a webmail server, such as @uref{http://www.hotmail.com/},
14505 @uref{http://webmail.netscape.com/}, @uref{http://www.netaddress.com/},
14506 @uref{http://mail.yahoo.com/}.
14508 NOTE: Webmail largely depends on cookies. A "one-line-cookie" patch is
14509 required for url "4.0pre.46".
14511 WARNING: Mails may be lost. NO WARRANTY.
14517 The type of the webmail server. The default is @code{hotmail}. The
14518 alternatives are @code{netscape}, @code{netaddress}, @code{my-deja}.
14521 The user name to give to the webmail server. The default is the login
14525 The password to give to the webmail server. If not specified, the user is
14529 If non-@code{nil}, only fetch unread articles and don't move them to
14530 trash folder after finishing the fetch.
14534 An example webmail source:
14537 (webmail :subtype 'hotmail
14539 :password "secret")
14544 @item Common Keywords
14545 Common keywords can be used in any type of mail source.
14551 If non-@code{nil}, fetch the mail even when Gnus is unplugged. If you
14552 use directory source to get mail, you can specify it as in this
14557 '((directory :path "/home/pavel/.Spool/"
14562 Gnus will then fetch your mail even when you are unplugged. This is
14563 useful when you use local mail and news.
14568 @subsubsection Function Interface
14570 Some of the above keywords specify a Lisp function to be executed.
14571 For each keyword @code{:foo}, the Lisp variable @code{foo} is bound to
14572 the value of the keyword while the function is executing. For example,
14573 consider the following mail-source setting:
14576 (setq mail-sources '((pop :user "jrl"
14577 :server "pophost" :function fetchfunc)))
14580 While the function @code{fetchfunc} is executing, the symbol @code{user}
14581 is bound to @code{"jrl"}, and the symbol @code{server} is bound to
14582 @code{"pophost"}. The symbols @code{port}, @code{password},
14583 @code{program}, @code{prescript}, @code{postscript}, @code{function},
14584 and @code{authentication} are also bound (to their default values).
14586 See above for a list of keywords for each type of mail source.
14589 @node Mail Source Customization
14590 @subsubsection Mail Source Customization
14592 The following is a list of variables that influence how the mail is
14593 fetched. You would normally not need to set or change any of these
14597 @item mail-source-crash-box
14598 @vindex mail-source-crash-box
14599 File where mail will be stored while processing it. The default is@*
14600 @file{~/.emacs-mail-crash-box}.
14602 @item mail-source-delete-incoming
14603 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
14604 If non-@code{nil}, delete incoming files after handling them. If
14605 @code{t}, delete the files immediately, if @code{nil}, never delete any
14606 files. If a positive number, delete files older than number of days
14607 (This will only happen, when receiving new mail). You may also set
14608 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} to @code{nil} and call
14609 @code{mail-source-delete-old-incoming} from a hook or interactively.
14611 @item mail-source-delete-old-incoming-confirm
14612 @vindex mail-source-delete-old-incoming-confirm
14613 If non-@code{nil}, ask for confirmation before deleting old incoming
14614 files. This variable only applies when
14615 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is a positive number.
14617 @item mail-source-ignore-errors
14618 @vindex mail-source-ignore-errors
14619 If non-@code{nil}, ignore errors when reading mail from a mail source.
14621 @item mail-source-directory
14622 @vindex mail-source-directory
14623 Directory where incoming mail source files (if any) will be stored. The
14624 default is @file{~/Mail/}. At present, the only thing this is used for
14625 is to say where the incoming files will be stored if the variable
14626 @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil} or a number.
14628 @item mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
14629 @vindex mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
14630 Prefix for file name for storing incoming mail. The default is
14631 @file{Incoming}, in which case files will end up with names like
14632 @file{Incoming30630D_} or @file{Incoming298602ZD}. This is really only
14633 relevant if @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil} or a
14636 @item mail-source-default-file-modes
14637 @vindex mail-source-default-file-modes
14638 All new mail files will get this file mode. The default is 384.
14640 @item mail-source-movemail-program
14641 @vindex mail-source-movemail-program
14642 If non-@code{nil}, name of program for fetching new mail. If
14643 @code{nil}, @code{movemail} in @var{exec-directory}.
14648 @node Fetching Mail
14649 @subsubsection Fetching Mail
14651 @vindex mail-sources
14652 @vindex nnmail-spool-file
14653 The way to actually tell Gnus where to get new mail from is to set
14654 @code{mail-sources} to a list of mail source specifiers
14655 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}).
14657 If this variable (and the obsolescent @code{nnmail-spool-file}) is
14658 @code{nil}, the mail back ends will never attempt to fetch mail by
14661 If you want to fetch mail both from your local spool as well as a
14662 @acronym{POP} mail server, you'd say something like:
14667 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
14668 :password "secret")))
14671 Or, if you don't want to use any of the keyword defaults:
14675 '((file :path "/var/spool/mail/user-name")
14676 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
14679 :password "secret")))
14683 When you use a mail back end, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
14684 inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
14685 mail if you're not using a mail back end---you have to do a lot of magic
14686 invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
14687 pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
14688 shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
14692 @node Mail Back End Variables
14693 @subsection Mail Back End Variables
14695 These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
14699 @vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
14700 @item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
14701 The mail back ends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
14702 use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
14704 @vindex nnmail-split-hook
14705 @item nnmail-split-hook
14706 @findex gnus-article-decode-encoded-words
14707 @cindex RFC 1522 decoding
14708 @cindex RFC 2047 decoding
14709 Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
14710 just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
14711 free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
14712 is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
14713 in the buffer will show up in any files.
14714 @code{gnus-article-decode-encoded-words} is one likely function to add
14717 @vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
14718 @vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
14719 @item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
14720 @itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
14721 These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
14722 mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
14723 starting to handle the new mail) and
14724 @code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
14725 is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
14726 default file modes the new mail files get:
14729 (add-hook 'nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
14730 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
14732 (add-hook 'nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
14733 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
14736 @item nnmail-use-long-file-names
14737 @vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
14738 If non-@code{nil}, the mail back ends will use long file and directory
14739 names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories
14740 (assuming use of @code{nnml} back end) or files (assuming use of
14741 @code{nnfolder} back end) like @file{mail.misc}. If it is @code{nil},
14742 the same group will end up in @file{mail/misc}.
14744 @item nnmail-delete-file-function
14745 @vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
14746 @findex delete-file
14747 Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
14749 @item nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
14750 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
14751 If non-@code{nil}, put the @code{Message-ID}s of articles imported into
14752 the back end (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
14753 discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}.
14755 @item nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
14756 @vindex nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
14757 This can be a regular expression or a list of regular expressions.
14758 Group names that match any of the regular expressions will never be
14759 recorded in the @code{Message-ID} cache.
14761 This can be useful, for example, when using Fancy Splitting
14762 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}) together with the function
14763 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}.
14768 @node Fancy Mail Splitting
14769 @subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
14770 @cindex mail splitting
14771 @cindex fancy mail splitting
14773 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy
14774 @findex nnmail-split-fancy
14775 If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
14776 doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
14777 @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
14778 play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
14780 Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
14783 ;; @r{Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of}
14784 ;; @r{the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group}
14785 ;; @r{from real errors.}
14786 (| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
14788 ;; @r{Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant}
14789 ;; @r{groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the}
14790 ;; @r{(ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.}
14791 (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
14792 ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
14793 ;; @r{Other mailing lists@dots{}}
14794 (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
14795 (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
14796 ;; @r{Both lists below have the same suffix, so prevent}
14797 ;; @r{cross-posting to mkpkg.list of messages posted only to}
14798 ;; @r{the bugs- list, but allow cross-posting when the}
14799 ;; @r{message was really cross-posted.}
14800 (any "bugs-mypackage@@somewhere" "mypkg.bugs")
14801 (any "mypackage@@somewhere" - "bugs-mypackage" "mypkg.list")
14802 ;; @r{People@dots{}}
14803 (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars_Magne_Ingebrigtsen"))
14804 ;; @r{Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.}
14808 This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a
14809 (possibly) recursive structure where each split may contain other
14810 splits. Here are the possible split syntaxes:
14815 If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group name. Normal
14816 regexp match expansion will be done. See below for examples.
14818 @c Don't fold this line.
14819 @item (@var{field} @var{value} [- @var{restrict} [@dots{}] ] @var{split} [@var{invert-partial}])
14820 The split can be a list containing at least three elements. If the
14821 first element @var{field} (a regexp matching a header) contains
14822 @var{value} (also a regexp) then store the message as specified by
14825 If @var{restrict} (yet another regexp) matches some string after
14826 @var{field} and before the end of the matched @var{value}, the
14827 @var{split} is ignored. If none of the @var{restrict} clauses match,
14828 @var{split} is processed.
14830 The last element @var{invert-partial} is optional. If it is
14831 non-@code{nil}, the match-partial-words behavior controlled by the
14832 variable @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} (see below) is
14833 be inverted. (New in Gnus 5.10.7)
14835 @item (| @var{split} @dots{})
14836 If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{|} (vertical
14837 bar), then process each @var{split} until one of them matches. A
14838 @var{split} is said to match if it will cause the mail message to be
14839 stored in one or more groups.
14841 @item (& @var{split} @dots{})
14842 If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{&}, then
14843 process all @var{split}s in the list.
14846 If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save (i.e., delete)
14847 this message. Use with extreme caution.
14849 @item (: @var{function} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @dots{})
14850 If the split is a list, and the first element is @samp{:}, then the
14851 second element will be called as a function with @var{args} given as
14852 arguments. The function should return a @var{split}.
14855 For instance, the following function could be used to split based on the
14856 body of the messages:
14859 (defun split-on-body ()
14863 (goto-char (point-min))
14864 (when (re-search-forward "Some.*string" nil t)
14868 The buffer is narrowed to the message in question when @var{function}
14869 is run. That's why @code{(widen)} needs to be called after
14870 @code{save-excursion} and @code{save-restriction} in the example
14871 above. Also note that with the nnimap back end, message bodies will
14872 not be downloaded by default. You need to set
14873 @code{nnimap-split-download-body} to @code{t} to do that
14874 (@pxref{Splitting in IMAP}).
14876 @item (! @var{func} @var{split})
14877 If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{!}, then
14878 @var{split} will be processed, and @var{func} will be called as a
14879 function with the result of @var{split} as argument. @var{func}
14880 should return a split.
14883 If the split is @code{nil}, it is ignored.
14887 In these splits, @var{field} must match a complete field name.
14889 Normally, @var{value} in these splits must match a complete @emph{word}
14890 according to the fundamental mode syntax table. In other words, all
14891 @var{value}'s will be implicitly surrounded by @code{\<...\>} markers,
14892 which are word delimiters. Therefore, if you use the following split,
14896 (any "joe" "joemail")
14900 messages sent from @samp{joedavis@@foo.org} will normally not be filed
14901 in @samp{joemail}. If you want to alter this behavior, you can use any
14902 of the following three ways:
14906 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words
14907 You can set the @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} variable
14908 to non-@code{nil} in order to ignore word boundaries and instead the
14909 match becomes more like a grep. This variable controls whether partial
14910 words are matched during fancy splitting. The default value is
14913 Note that it influences all @var{value}'s in your split rules.
14916 @var{value} beginning with @code{.*} ignores word boundaries in front of
14917 a word. Similarly, if @var{value} ends with @code{.*}, word boundaries
14918 in the rear of a word will be ignored. For example, the @var{value}
14919 @code{"@@example\\.com"} does not match @samp{foo@@example.com} but
14920 @code{".*@@example\\.com"} does.
14923 You can set the @var{invert-partial} flag in your split rules of the
14924 @samp{(@var{field} @var{value} @dots{})} types, aforementioned in this
14925 section. If the flag is set, word boundaries on both sides of a word
14926 are ignored even if @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} is
14927 @code{nil}. Contrarily, if the flag is set, word boundaries are not
14928 ignored even if @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} is
14929 non-@code{nil}. (New in Gnus 5.10.7)
14932 @vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
14933 @var{field} and @var{value} can also be Lisp symbols, in that case
14934 they are expanded as specified by the variable
14935 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells,
14936 where the @sc{car} of a cell contains the key, and the @sc{cdr}
14937 contains the associated value. Predefined entries in
14938 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist} include:
14942 Matches the @samp{From}, @samp{Sender} and @samp{Resent-From} fields.
14944 Matches the @samp{To}, @samp{Cc}, @samp{Apparently-To},
14945 @samp{Resent-To} and @samp{Resent-Cc} fields.
14947 Is the union of the @code{from} and @code{to} entries.
14950 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
14951 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
14952 when all this splitting is performed.
14954 If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some
14955 information in the headers (i.e., do @code{replace-match}-like
14956 substitutions in the group names), you can say things like:
14959 (any "debian-\\b\\(\\w+\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1")
14962 In this example, messages sent to @samp{debian-foo@@lists.debian.org}
14963 will be filed in @samp{mail.debian.foo}.
14965 If the string contains the element @samp{\&}, then the previously
14966 matched string will be substituted. Similarly, the elements @samp{\\1}
14967 up to @samp{\\9} will be substituted with the text matched by the
14968 groupings 1 through 9.
14970 @vindex nnmail-split-lowercase-expanded
14971 Where @code{nnmail-split-lowercase-expanded} controls whether the
14972 lowercase of the matched string should be used for the substitution.
14973 Setting it as non-@code{nil} is useful to avoid the creation of multiple
14974 groups when users send to an address using different case
14975 (i.e. mailing-list@@domain vs Mailing-List@@Domain). The default value
14978 @findex nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent
14979 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} is a function which allows you to
14980 split followups into the same groups their parents are in. Sometimes
14981 you can't make splitting rules for all your mail. For example, your
14982 boss might send you personal mail regarding different projects you are
14983 working on, and as you can't tell your boss to put a distinguishing
14984 string into the subject line, you have to resort to manually moving the
14985 messages into the right group. With this function, you only have to do
14986 it once per thread.
14988 To use this feature, you have to set @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates}
14989 and @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} to a non-@code{nil}
14990 value. And then you can include @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}
14991 using the colon feature, like so:
14993 (setq nnmail-treat-duplicates 'warn ; @r{or @code{delete}}
14994 nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids t
14996 '(| (: nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent)
14997 ;; @r{other splits go here}
15001 This feature works as follows: when @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} is
15002 non-@code{nil}, Gnus records the message id of every message it sees
15003 in the file specified by the variable
15004 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, together with the group it is in
15005 (the group is omitted for non-mail messages). When mail splitting is
15006 invoked, the function @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} then looks
15007 at the References (and In-Reply-To) header of each message to split
15008 and searches the file specified by @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}
15009 for the message ids. When it has found a parent, it returns the
15010 corresponding group name unless the group name matches the regexp
15011 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent-ignore-groups}. It is
15012 recommended that you set @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length} to a
15013 somewhat higher number than the default so that the message ids are
15014 still in the cache. (A value of 5000 appears to create a file some
15015 300 kBytes in size.)
15016 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
15017 When @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus
15018 also records the message ids of moved articles, so that the followup
15019 messages goes into the new group.
15021 Also see the variable @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} if you don't
15022 want certain groups to be recorded in the cache. For example, if all
15023 outgoing messages are written to an ``outgoing'' group, you could set
15024 @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} to match that group name.
15025 Otherwise, answers to all your messages would end up in the
15026 ``outgoing'' group.
15029 @node Group Mail Splitting
15030 @subsection Group Mail Splitting
15031 @cindex mail splitting
15032 @cindex group mail splitting
15034 @findex gnus-group-split
15035 If you subscribe to dozens of mailing lists but you don't want to
15036 maintain mail splitting rules manually, group mail splitting is for you.
15037 You just have to set @code{to-list} and/or @code{to-address} in group
15038 parameters or group customization and set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to
15039 @code{gnus-group-split}. This splitting function will scan all groups
15040 for those parameters and split mail accordingly, i.e., messages posted
15041 from or to the addresses specified in the parameters @code{to-list} or
15042 @code{to-address} of a mail group will be stored in that group.
15044 Sometimes, mailing lists have multiple addresses, and you may want mail
15045 splitting to recognize them all: just set the @code{extra-aliases} group
15046 parameter to the list of additional addresses and it's done. If you'd
15047 rather use a regular expression, set @code{split-regexp}.
15049 All these parameters in a group will be used to create an
15050 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split, in which the @var{field} is @samp{any},
15051 the @var{value} is a single regular expression that matches
15052 @code{to-list}, @code{to-address}, all of @code{extra-aliases} and all
15053 matches of @code{split-regexp}, and the @var{split} is the name of the
15054 group. @var{restrict}s are also supported: just set the
15055 @code{split-exclude} parameter to a list of regular expressions.
15057 If you can't get the right split to be generated using all these
15058 parameters, or you just need something fancier, you can set the
15059 parameter @code{split-spec} to an @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split. In
15060 this case, all other aforementioned parameters will be ignored by
15061 @code{gnus-group-split}. In particular, @code{split-spec} may be set to
15062 @code{nil}, in which case the group will be ignored by
15063 @code{gnus-group-split}.
15065 @vindex gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group
15066 @code{gnus-group-split} will do cross-posting on all groups that match,
15067 by defining a single @code{&} fancy split containing one split for each
15068 group. If a message doesn't match any split, it will be stored in the
15069 group named in @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}, unless
15070 some group has @code{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all}, in which case
15071 that group is used as the catch-all group. Even though this variable is
15072 often used just to name a group, it may also be set to an arbitrarily
15073 complex fancy split (after all, a group name is a fancy split), and this
15074 may be useful to split mail that doesn't go to any mailing list to
15075 personal mail folders. Note that this fancy split is added as the last
15076 element of a @code{|} split list that also contains a @code{&} split
15077 with the rules extracted from group parameters.
15079 It's time for an example. Assume the following group parameters have
15084 ((to-address . "bar@@femail.com")
15085 (split-regexp . ".*@@femail\\.com"))
15087 ((to-list . "foo@@nowhere.gov")
15088 (extra-aliases "foo@@localhost" "foo-redist@@home")
15089 (split-exclude "bugs-foo" "rambling-foo")
15090 (admin-address . "foo-request@@nowhere.gov"))
15092 ((split-spec . catch-all))
15095 Setting @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{gnus-group-split} will
15096 behave as if @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been selected and variable
15097 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been set as follows:
15100 (| (& (any "\\(bar@@femail\\.com\\|.*@@femail\\.com\\)" "mail.bar")
15101 (any "\\(foo@@nowhere\\.gov\\|foo@@localhost\\|foo-redist@@home\\)"
15102 - "bugs-foo" - "rambling-foo" "mail.foo"))
15106 @findex gnus-group-split-fancy
15107 If you'd rather not use group splitting for all your mail groups, you
15108 may use it for only some of them, by using @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
15112 (: gnus-group-split-fancy @var{groups} @var{no-crosspost} @var{catch-all})
15115 @var{groups} may be a regular expression or a list of group names whose
15116 parameters will be scanned to generate the output split.
15117 @var{no-crosspost} can be used to disable cross-posting; in this case, a
15118 single @code{|} split will be output. @var{catch-all} is the fall back
15119 fancy split, used like @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}.
15120 If @var{catch-all} is @code{nil}, or if @code{split-regexp} matches the
15121 empty string in any selected group, no catch-all split will be issued.
15122 Otherwise, if some group has @code{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all},
15123 this group will override the value of the @var{catch-all} argument.
15125 @findex gnus-group-split-setup
15126 Unfortunately, scanning all groups and their parameters can be quite
15127 slow, especially considering that it has to be done for every message.
15128 But don't despair! The function @code{gnus-group-split-setup} can be
15129 used to enable @code{gnus-group-split} in a much more efficient way. It
15130 sets @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy} and sets
15131 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} to the split produced by
15132 @code{gnus-group-split-fancy}. Thus, the group parameters are only
15133 scanned once, no matter how many messages are split.
15135 @findex gnus-group-split-update
15136 However, if you change group parameters, you'd have to update
15137 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} manually. You can do it by running
15138 @code{gnus-group-split-update}. If you'd rather have it updated
15139 automatically, just tell @code{gnus-group-split-setup} to do it for
15140 you. For example, add to your @file{~/.gnus.el}:
15143 (gnus-group-split-setup @var{auto-update} @var{catch-all})
15146 If @var{auto-update} is non-@code{nil}, @code{gnus-group-split-update}
15147 will be added to @code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook}, so you won't ever
15148 have to worry about updating @code{nnmail-split-fancy} again. If you
15149 don't omit @var{catch-all} (it's optional, equivalent to @code{nil}),
15150 @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group} will be set to its
15153 @vindex gnus-group-split-updated-hook
15154 Because you may want to change @code{nnmail-split-fancy} after it is set
15155 by @code{gnus-group-split-update}, this function will run
15156 @code{gnus-group-split-updated-hook} just before finishing.
15158 @node Incorporating Old Mail
15159 @subsection Incorporating Old Mail
15160 @cindex incorporating old mail
15161 @cindex import old mail
15163 Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
15164 you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
15165 back ends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
15168 Doing so can be quite easy.
15170 To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
15171 (@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
15172 satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
15173 file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
15174 your @code{nnml} groups.
15180 Go to the group buffer.
15183 Type @kbd{G f} and give the file name to the mbox file when prompted to create an
15184 @code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
15187 Type @kbd{SPACE} to enter the newly created group.
15190 Type @kbd{M P b} to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
15191 (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
15194 Type @kbd{B r} to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
15195 @samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
15198 All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
15199 all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
15200 have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
15201 deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
15202 sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
15204 Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
15205 back end to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
15206 using the new mail back end.
15209 @node Expiring Mail
15210 @subsection Expiring Mail
15211 @cindex article expiry
15212 @cindex expiring mail
15214 Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
15215 you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
15216 different approach to mail reading.
15218 Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
15219 a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
15220 actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
15221 mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
15222 fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
15223 Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
15226 To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
15227 articles as @dfn{expirable}. (With the default key bindings, this means
15228 that you have to type @kbd{E}.) This does not mean that the articles
15229 will disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
15230 deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
15231 more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
15232 will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
15233 repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
15234 NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
15236 You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Gnus provides
15237 two features, called ``auto-expire'' and ``total-expire'', that can help you
15238 with this. In a nutshell, ``auto-expire'' means that Gnus hits @kbd{E}
15239 for you when you select an article. And ``total-expire'' means that Gnus
15240 considers all articles as expirable that are read. So, in addition to
15241 the articles marked @samp{E}, also the articles marked @samp{r},
15242 @samp{R}, @samp{O}, @samp{K}, @samp{Y} and so on are considered
15245 When should either auto-expire or total-expire be used? Most people
15246 who are subscribed to mailing lists split each list into its own group
15247 and then turn on auto-expire or total-expire for those groups.
15248 (@xref{Splitting Mail}, for more information on splitting each list
15249 into its own group.)
15251 Which one is better, auto-expire or total-expire? It's not easy to
15252 answer. Generally speaking, auto-expire is probably faster. Another
15253 advantage of auto-expire is that you get more marks to work with: for
15254 the articles that are supposed to stick around, you can still choose
15255 between tick and dormant and read marks. But with total-expire, you
15256 only have dormant and ticked to choose from. The advantage of
15257 total-expire is that it works well with adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive
15258 Scoring}). Auto-expire works with normal scoring but not with adaptive
15261 @vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
15262 Groups that match the regular expression
15263 @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will have all articles that you
15264 read marked as expirable automatically. All articles marked as
15265 expirable have an @samp{E} in the first column in the summary buffer.
15267 By default, if you have auto expiry switched on, Gnus will mark all the
15268 articles you read as expirable, no matter if they were read or unread
15269 before. To avoid having articles marked as read marked as expirable
15270 automatically, you can put something like the following in your
15271 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
15273 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
15275 (remove-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook
15276 'gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read)
15277 (add-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook 'gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read)
15280 Note that making a group auto-expirable doesn't mean that all read
15281 articles are expired---only the articles marked as expirable
15282 will be expired. Also note that using the @kbd{d} command won't make
15283 articles expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
15284 mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
15286 Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
15287 articles you have read to disappear after a while:
15290 (setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
15291 "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
15294 Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
15295 @code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
15297 If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and
15298 auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring
15299 don't really mix very well.
15301 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
15302 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
15303 expirable article has to live. Gnus starts counting days from when the
15304 message @emph{arrived}, not from when it was sent. The default is seven
15307 Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
15308 are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
15309 have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
15310 expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
15313 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
15315 (setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
15317 (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
15319 ((string= group "mail.junk")
15321 ((string= group "important")
15327 The group names this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
15328 names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
15330 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
15331 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can either be a number (not
15332 necessarily an integer) or one of the symbols @code{immediate} or
15335 You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
15336 change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
15338 @vindex nnmail-expiry-target
15339 The normal action taken when expiring articles is to delete them.
15340 However, in some circumstances it might make more sense to move them
15341 to other groups instead of deleting them. The variable
15342 @code{nnmail-expiry-target} (and the @code{expiry-target} group
15343 parameter) controls this. The variable supplies a default value for
15344 all groups, which can be overridden for specific groups by the group
15345 parameter. default value is @code{delete}, but this can also be a
15346 string (which should be the name of the group the message should be
15347 moved to), or a function (which will be called in a buffer narrowed to
15348 the message in question, and with the name of the group being moved
15349 from as its parameter) which should return a target---either a group
15350 name or @code{delete}.
15352 Here's an example for specifying a group name:
15354 (setq nnmail-expiry-target "nnml:expired")
15357 @findex nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
15358 @vindex nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
15359 Gnus provides a function @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-target} which will
15360 expire mail to groups according to the variable
15361 @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets}. Here's an example:
15364 (setq nnmail-expiry-target 'nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
15365 nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
15366 '((to-from "boss" "nnfolder:Work")
15367 ("subject" "IMPORTANT" "nnfolder:IMPORTANT.%Y.%b")
15368 ("from" ".*" "nnfolder:Archive-%Y")))
15371 With this setup, any mail that has @code{IMPORTANT} in its Subject
15372 header and was sent in the year @code{YYYY} and month @code{MMM}, will
15373 get expired to the group @code{nnfolder:IMPORTANT.YYYY.MMM}. If its
15374 From or To header contains the string @code{boss}, it will get expired
15375 to @code{nnfolder:Work}. All other mail will get expired to
15376 @code{nnfolder:Archive-YYYY}.
15378 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
15379 If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
15380 expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
15381 easier for procmail users.
15383 @vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
15384 By the way: That line up there, about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
15385 articles, is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
15386 parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
15387 articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
15388 caution. Even more dangerous is the
15389 @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
15390 this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
15391 which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
15392 will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
15393 crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
15394 wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
15395 @emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
15398 Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though.
15400 @vindex gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire
15401 If @code{gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire} is non-@code{nil}, user marking
15402 commands will not mark an article as expirable, even if the group has
15403 auto-expire turned on.
15407 @subsection Washing Mail
15408 @cindex mail washing
15409 @cindex list server brain damage
15410 @cindex incoming mail treatment
15412 Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
15413 really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC 822 doesn't explicitly
15414 prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
15415 end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
15416 Yes, but RFC 822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
15417 considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
15419 Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
15420 } to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
15421 be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
15424 Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
15425 displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
15426 storing the mail to disk. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
15427 various functions that can be put in these hooks.
15430 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
15431 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
15432 This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
15433 grand, sweeping gestures. It is called in a buffer that contains all
15434 the new, incoming mail. Functions to be used include:
15437 @item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
15438 @findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
15439 Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
15440 Emacs running on MS machines.
15444 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
15445 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
15446 This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
15447 cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
15450 @item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
15451 @findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
15452 Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
15453 headers to make them look nice. Aaah.
15455 (Note that this function works on both the header on the body of all
15456 messages, so it is a potentially dangerous function to use (if a body
15457 of a message contains something that looks like a header line). So
15458 rather than fix the bug, it is of course the right solution to make it
15459 into a feature by documenting it.)
15461 @item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
15462 @findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
15463 Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
15464 beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
15465 people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
15466 strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
15467 also be a list of regexp. @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} may not contain
15470 For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
15471 @samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
15474 (setq nnmail-list-identifiers
15475 '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
15478 This can also be done non-destructively with
15479 @code{gnus-list-identifiers}, @xref{Article Hiding}.
15481 @item nnmail-remove-tabs
15482 @findex nnmail-remove-tabs
15483 Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
15485 @item nnmail-ignore-broken-references
15486 @findex nnmail-ignore-broken-references
15487 @c @findex nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
15490 Some mail user agents (e.g. Eudora and Pegasus) produce broken
15491 @code{References} headers, but correct @code{In-Reply-To} headers. This
15492 function will get rid of the @code{References} header if the headers
15493 contain a line matching the regular expression
15494 @code{nnmail-broken-references-mailers}.
15498 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
15499 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
15500 This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
15504 @item article-de-quoted-unreadable
15505 @findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
15506 Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
15513 @subsection Duplicates
15515 @vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
15516 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
15517 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
15518 @cindex duplicate mails
15519 If you are a member of a couple of mailing lists, you will sometimes
15520 receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
15521 @code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
15522 this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s---
15523 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
15524 default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
15525 there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
15526 variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
15527 stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
15528 @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
15529 default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
15530 will insert a warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks
15531 that this is a duplicate of a different message.
15533 This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
15534 will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
15535 the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
15536 @code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
15538 You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
15541 If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
15542 @dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
15546 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
15547 '(| ;; @r{Messages duplicates go to a separate group.}
15548 ("gnus-warning" "duplicat\\(e\\|ion\\) of message" "duplicate")
15549 ;; @r{Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.}
15550 (any mail "mail.misc")
15551 ;; @r{Other rules.}
15557 (setq nnmail-split-methods
15558 '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:.*duplicate")
15559 ;; @r{Other rules.}
15563 Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
15564 with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
15565 @code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
15566 using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
15567 received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
15570 @node Not Reading Mail
15571 @subsection Not Reading Mail
15573 If you start using any of the mail back ends, they have the annoying
15574 habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
15575 be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
15577 If you set @code{mail-sources} and @code{nnmail-spool-file} to
15578 @code{nil}, none of the back ends will ever attempt to read incoming
15579 mail, which should help.
15581 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
15582 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
15583 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
15584 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
15585 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
15586 This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
15587 happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old Rmail
15588 file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All back ends have
15589 variables called back-end-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
15590 the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
15591 group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
15593 All the mail back ends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
15594 narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
15598 @node Choosing a Mail Back End
15599 @subsection Choosing a Mail Back End
15601 Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
15602 file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
15603 depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
15605 There are six different mail back ends in the standard Gnus, and more
15606 back ends are available separately. The mail back end most people use
15607 (because it is possibly the fastest) is @code{nnml} (@pxref{Mail
15611 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
15612 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the Rmail Babyl format.
15613 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
15614 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
15615 * Maildir:: Another one-file-per-message format.
15616 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
15617 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
15621 @node Unix Mail Box
15622 @subsubsection Unix Mail Box
15624 @cindex unix mail box
15626 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
15627 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
15628 The @dfn{nnmbox} back end will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
15629 mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
15630 which group it belongs in.
15632 Virtual server settings:
15635 @item nnmbox-mbox-file
15636 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
15637 The name of the mail box in the user's home directory. Default is
15640 @item nnmbox-active-file
15641 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
15642 The name of the active file for the mail box. Default is
15643 @file{~/.mbox-active}.
15645 @item nnmbox-get-new-mail
15646 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
15647 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
15648 into groups. Default is @code{t}.
15653 @subsubsection Rmail Babyl
15657 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
15658 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
15659 The @dfn{nnbabyl} back end will use a Babyl mail box (aka. @dfn{Rmail
15660 mbox}) to store mail. @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each
15661 mail article to say which group it belongs in.
15663 Virtual server settings:
15666 @item nnbabyl-mbox-file
15667 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
15668 The name of the Rmail mbox file. The default is @file{~/RMAIL}
15670 @item nnbabyl-active-file
15671 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
15672 The name of the active file for the rmail box. The default is
15673 @file{~/.rmail-active}
15675 @item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
15676 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
15677 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail. Default is
15683 @subsubsection Mail Spool
15685 @cindex mail @acronym{NOV} spool
15687 The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
15688 format. It should be used with some caution.
15690 @vindex nnml-directory
15691 If you use this back end, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files,
15692 one file for each mail, and put the articles into the corresponding
15693 directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
15694 variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
15696 You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
15699 If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
15700 in your account, you should not use this back end. As each mail gets its
15701 own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
15702 weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
15703 having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
15704 shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
15705 know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
15706 to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
15708 @code{nnml} is probably the slowest back end when it comes to article
15709 splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
15710 @acronym{NOV} databases for the incoming mails. This makes it possibly the
15711 fastest back end when it comes to reading mail.
15713 @cindex self contained nnml servers
15715 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnml}
15716 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
15717 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
15718 proper @code{nnml} server) and have all your marks be preserved. Marks
15719 for a group are usually stored in the @code{.marks} file (but see
15720 @code{nnml-marks-file-name}) within each @code{nnml} group's directory.
15721 Individual @code{nnml} groups are also possible to backup, use @kbd{G m}
15722 to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the nnml
15725 If for some reason you believe your @file{.marks} files are screwed
15726 up, you can just delete them all. Gnus will then correctly regenerate
15727 them next time it starts.
15729 Virtual server settings:
15732 @item nnml-directory
15733 @vindex nnml-directory
15734 All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory. The
15735 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default value
15738 @item nnml-active-file
15739 @vindex nnml-active-file
15740 The active file for the @code{nnml} server. The default is
15741 @file{~/Mail/active}.
15743 @item nnml-newsgroups-file
15744 @vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
15745 The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
15746 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups}.
15748 @item nnml-get-new-mail
15749 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
15750 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail. The default is
15753 @item nnml-nov-is-evil
15754 @vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
15755 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @acronym{NOV} files. The
15756 default is @code{nil}.
15758 @item nnml-nov-file-name
15759 @vindex nnml-nov-file-name
15760 The name of the @acronym{NOV} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
15762 @item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
15763 @vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
15764 Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
15766 @item nnml-marks-is-evil
15767 @vindex nnml-marks-is-evil
15768 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
15769 default is @code{nil}.
15771 @item nnml-marks-file-name
15772 @vindex nnml-marks-file-name
15773 The name of the @dfn{marks} files. The default is @file{.marks}.
15775 @item nnml-use-compressed-files
15776 @vindex nnml-use-compressed-files
15777 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will allow using compressed message
15778 files. This requires @code{auto-compression-mode} to be enabled
15779 (@pxref{Compressed Files, ,Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Manual}).
15780 If the value of @code{nnml-use-compressed-files} is a string, it is used
15781 as the file extension specifying the compression program. You can set it
15782 to @samp{.bz2} if your Emacs supports it. A value of @code{t} is
15783 equivalent to @samp{.gz}.
15785 @item nnml-compressed-files-size-threshold
15786 @vindex nnml-compressed-files-size-threshold
15787 Default size threshold for compressed message files. Message files with
15788 bodies larger than that many characters will be automatically compressed
15789 if @code{nnml-use-compressed-files} is non-@code{nil}.
15793 @findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
15794 If your @code{nnml} groups and @acronym{NOV} files get totally out of
15795 whack, you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
15796 nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
15797 entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
15798 might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
15799 functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server
15804 @subsubsection MH Spool
15806 @cindex mh-e mail spool
15808 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
15809 @acronym{NOV} databases and it doesn't keep an active file or marks
15810 file. This makes @code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower back end than
15811 @code{nnml}, but it also makes it easier to write procmail scripts
15814 Virtual server settings:
15817 @item nnmh-directory
15818 @vindex nnmh-directory
15819 All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory. The
15820 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
15823 @item nnmh-get-new-mail
15824 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
15825 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail. The default is
15829 @vindex nnmh-be-safe
15830 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
15831 sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks
15832 they are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
15833 setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
15834 use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not
15835 have to set this variable to @code{t}. The default is @code{nil}.
15840 @subsubsection Maildir
15844 @code{nnmaildir} stores mail in the maildir format, with each maildir
15845 corresponding to a group in Gnus. This format is documented here:
15846 @uref{http://cr.yp.to/proto/maildir.html} and here:
15847 @uref{http://www.qmail.org/man/man5/maildir.html}. @code{nnmaildir}
15848 also stores extra information in the @file{.nnmaildir/} directory
15851 Maildir format was designed to allow concurrent deliveries and
15852 reading, without needing locks. With other back ends, you would have
15853 your mail delivered to a spool of some kind, and then you would
15854 configure Gnus to split mail from that spool into your groups. You
15855 can still do that with @code{nnmaildir}, but the more common
15856 configuration is to have your mail delivered directly to the maildirs
15857 that appear as group in Gnus.
15859 @code{nnmaildir} is designed to be perfectly reliable: @kbd{C-g} will
15860 never corrupt its data in memory, and @code{SIGKILL} will never
15861 corrupt its data in the filesystem.
15863 @code{nnmaildir} stores article marks and @acronym{NOV} data in each
15864 maildir. So you can copy a whole maildir from one Gnus setup to
15865 another, and you will keep your marks.
15867 Virtual server settings:
15871 For each of your @code{nnmaildir} servers (it's very unlikely that
15872 you'd need more than one), you need to create a directory and populate
15873 it with maildirs or symlinks to maildirs (and nothing else; do not
15874 choose a directory already used for other purposes). Each maildir
15875 will be represented in Gnus as a newsgroup on that server; the
15876 filename of the symlink will be the name of the group. Any filenames
15877 in the directory starting with @samp{.} are ignored. The directory is
15878 scanned when you first start Gnus, and each time you type @kbd{g} in
15879 the group buffer; if any maildirs have been removed or added,
15880 @code{nnmaildir} notices at these times.
15882 The value of the @code{directory} parameter should be a Lisp form
15883 which is processed by @code{eval} and @code{expand-file-name} to get
15884 the path of the directory for this server. The form is @code{eval}ed
15885 only when the server is opened; the resulting string is used until the
15886 server is closed. (If you don't know about forms and @code{eval},
15887 don't worry---a simple string will work.) This parameter is not
15888 optional; you must specify it. I don't recommend using
15889 @code{"~/Mail"} or a subdirectory of it; several other parts of Gnus
15890 use that directory by default for various things, and may get confused
15891 if @code{nnmaildir} uses it too. @code{"~/.nnmaildir"} is a typical
15894 @item target-prefix
15895 This should be a Lisp form which is processed by @code{eval} and
15896 @code{expand-file-name}. The form is @code{eval}ed only when the
15897 server is opened; the resulting string is used until the server is
15900 When you create a group on an @code{nnmaildir} server, the maildir is
15901 created with @code{target-prefix} prepended to its name, and a symlink
15902 pointing to that maildir is created, named with the plain group name.
15903 So if @code{directory} is @code{"~/.nnmaildir"} and
15904 @code{target-prefix} is @code{"../maildirs/"}, then when you create
15905 the group @code{foo}, @code{nnmaildir} will create
15906 @file{~/.nnmaildir/../maildirs/foo} as a maildir, and will create
15907 @file{~/.nnmaildir/foo} as a symlink pointing to
15908 @file{../maildirs/foo}.
15910 You can set @code{target-prefix} to a string without any slashes to
15911 create both maildirs and symlinks in the same @code{directory}; in
15912 this case, any maildirs found in @code{directory} whose names start
15913 with @code{target-prefix} will not be listed as groups (but the
15914 symlinks pointing to them will be).
15916 As a special case, if @code{target-prefix} is @code{""} (the default),
15917 then when you create a group, the maildir will be created in
15918 @code{directory} without a corresponding symlink. Beware that you
15919 cannot use @code{gnus-group-delete-group} on such groups without the
15920 @code{force} argument.
15922 @item directory-files
15923 This should be a function with the same interface as
15924 @code{directory-files} (such as @code{directory-files} itself). It is
15925 used to scan the server's @code{directory} for maildirs. This
15926 parameter is optional; the default is
15927 @code{nnheader-directory-files-safe} if
15928 @code{nnheader-directory-files-is-safe} is @code{nil}, and
15929 @code{directory-files} otherwise.
15930 (@code{nnheader-directory-files-is-safe} is checked only once when the
15931 server is opened; if you want to check it each time the directory is
15932 scanned, you'll have to provide your own function that does that.)
15935 If non-@code{nil}, then after scanning for new mail in the group
15936 maildirs themselves as usual, this server will also incorporate mail
15937 the conventional Gnus way, from @code{mail-sources} according to
15938 @code{nnmail-split-methods} or @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. The default
15939 value is @code{nil}.
15941 Do @emph{not} use the same maildir both in @code{mail-sources} and as
15942 an @code{nnmaildir} group. The results might happen to be useful, but
15943 that would be by chance, not by design, and the results might be
15944 different in the future. If your split rules create new groups,
15945 remember to supply a @code{create-directory} server parameter.
15948 @subsubsection Group parameters
15950 @code{nnmaildir} uses several group parameters. It's safe to ignore
15951 all this; the default behavior for @code{nnmaildir} is the same as the
15952 default behavior for other mail back ends: articles are deleted after
15953 one week, etc. Except for the expiry parameters, all this
15954 functionality is unique to @code{nnmaildir}, so you can ignore it if
15955 you're just trying to duplicate the behavior you already have with
15958 If the value of any of these parameters is a vector, the first element
15959 is evaluated as a Lisp form and the result is used, rather than the
15960 original value. If the value is not a vector, the value itself is
15961 evaluated as a Lisp form. (This is why these parameters use names
15962 different from those of other, similar parameters supported by other
15963 back ends: they have different, though similar, meanings.) (For
15964 numbers, strings, @code{nil}, and @code{t}, you can ignore the
15965 @code{eval} business again; for other values, remember to use an extra
15966 quote and wrap the value in a vector when appropriate.)
15970 An integer specifying the minimum age, in seconds, of an article
15971 before it will be expired, or the symbol @code{never} to specify that
15972 articles should never be expired. If this parameter is not set,
15973 @code{nnmaildir} falls back to the usual
15974 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait}(@code{-function}) variables (the
15975 @code{expiry-wait} group parameter overrides @code{nnmail-expiry-wait}
15976 and makes @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} ineffective). If you
15977 wanted a value of 3 days, you could use something like @code{[(* 3 24
15978 60 60)]}; @code{nnmaildir} will evaluate the form and use the result.
15979 An article's age is measured starting from the article file's
15980 modification time. Normally, this is the same as the article's
15981 delivery time, but editing an article makes it younger. Moving an
15982 article (other than via expiry) may also make an article younger.
15985 If this is set to a string such as a full Gnus group name, like
15987 "backend+server.address.string:group.name"
15989 and if it is not the name of the same group that the parameter belongs
15990 to, then articles will be moved to the specified group during expiry
15991 before being deleted. @emph{If this is set to an @code{nnmaildir}
15992 group, the article will be just as old in the destination group as it
15993 was in the source group.} So be careful with @code{expire-age} in the
15994 destination group. If this is set to the name of the same group that
15995 the parameter belongs to, then the article is not expired at all. If
15996 you use the vector form, the first element is evaluated once for each
15997 article. So that form can refer to
15998 @code{nnmaildir-article-file-name}, etc., to decide where to put the
15999 article. @emph{Even if this parameter is not set, @code{nnmaildir}
16000 does not fall back to the @code{expiry-target} group parameter or the
16001 @code{nnmail-expiry-target} variable.}
16004 If this is set to @code{t}, @code{nnmaildir} will treat the articles
16005 in this maildir as read-only. This means: articles are not renamed
16006 from @file{new/} into @file{cur/}; articles are only found in
16007 @file{new/}, not @file{cur/}; articles are never deleted; articles
16008 cannot be edited. @file{new/} is expected to be a symlink to the
16009 @file{new/} directory of another maildir---e.g., a system-wide mailbox
16010 containing a mailing list of common interest. Everything in the
16011 maildir outside @file{new/} is @emph{not} treated as read-only, so for
16012 a shared mailbox, you do still need to set up your own maildir (or
16013 have write permission to the shared mailbox); your maildir just won't
16014 contain extra copies of the articles.
16016 @item directory-files
16017 A function with the same interface as @code{directory-files}. It is
16018 used to scan the directories in the maildir corresponding to this
16019 group to find articles. The default is the function specified by the
16020 server's @code{directory-files} parameter.
16022 @item distrust-Lines:
16023 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmaildir} will always count the lines of an
16024 article, rather than use the @code{Lines:} header field. If
16025 @code{nil}, the header field will be used if present.
16028 A list of mark symbols, such as @code{['(read expire)]}. Whenever
16029 Gnus asks @code{nnmaildir} for article marks, @code{nnmaildir} will
16030 say that all articles have these marks, regardless of whether the
16031 marks stored in the filesystem say so. This is a proof-of-concept
16032 feature that will probably be removed eventually; it ought to be done
16033 in Gnus proper, or abandoned if it's not worthwhile.
16036 A list of mark symbols, such as @code{['(tick expire)]}. Whenever
16037 Gnus asks @code{nnmaildir} for article marks, @code{nnmaildir} will
16038 say that no articles have these marks, regardless of whether the marks
16039 stored in the filesystem say so. @code{never-marks} overrides
16040 @code{always-marks}. This is a proof-of-concept feature that will
16041 probably be removed eventually; it ought to be done in Gnus proper, or
16042 abandoned if it's not worthwhile.
16044 @item nov-cache-size
16045 An integer specifying the size of the @acronym{NOV} memory cache. To
16046 speed things up, @code{nnmaildir} keeps @acronym{NOV} data in memory
16047 for a limited number of articles in each group. (This is probably not
16048 worthwhile, and will probably be removed in the future.) This
16049 parameter's value is noticed only the first time a group is seen after
16050 the server is opened---i.e., when you first start Gnus, typically.
16051 The @acronym{NOV} cache is never resized until the server is closed
16052 and reopened. The default is an estimate of the number of articles
16053 that would be displayed in the summary buffer: a count of articles
16054 that are either marked with @code{tick} or not marked with
16055 @code{read}, plus a little extra.
16058 @subsubsection Article identification
16059 Articles are stored in the @file{cur/} subdirectory of each maildir.
16060 Each article file is named like @code{uniq:info}, where @code{uniq}
16061 contains no colons. @code{nnmaildir} ignores, but preserves, the
16062 @code{:info} part. (Other maildir readers typically use this part of
16063 the filename to store marks.) The @code{uniq} part uniquely
16064 identifies the article, and is used in various places in the
16065 @file{.nnmaildir/} subdirectory of the maildir to store information
16066 about the corresponding article. The full pathname of an article is
16067 available in the variable @code{nnmaildir-article-file-name} after you
16068 request the article in the summary buffer.
16070 @subsubsection NOV data
16071 An article identified by @code{uniq} has its @acronym{NOV} data (used
16072 to generate lines in the summary buffer) stored in
16073 @code{.nnmaildir/nov/uniq}. There is no
16074 @code{nnmaildir-generate-nov-databases} function. (There isn't much
16075 need for it---an article's @acronym{NOV} data is updated automatically
16076 when the article or @code{nnmail-extra-headers} has changed.) You can
16077 force @code{nnmaildir} to regenerate the @acronym{NOV} data for a
16078 single article simply by deleting the corresponding @acronym{NOV}
16079 file, but @emph{beware}: this will also cause @code{nnmaildir} to
16080 assign a new article number for this article, which may cause trouble
16081 with @code{seen} marks, the Agent, and the cache.
16083 @subsubsection Article marks
16084 An article identified by @code{uniq} is considered to have the mark
16085 @code{flag} when the file @file{.nnmaildir/marks/flag/uniq} exists.
16086 When Gnus asks @code{nnmaildir} for a group's marks, @code{nnmaildir}
16087 looks for such files and reports the set of marks it finds. When Gnus
16088 asks @code{nnmaildir} to store a new set of marks, @code{nnmaildir}
16089 creates and deletes the corresponding files as needed. (Actually,
16090 rather than create a new file for each mark, it just creates hard
16091 links to @file{.nnmaildir/markfile}, to save inodes.)
16093 You can invent new marks by creating a new directory in
16094 @file{.nnmaildir/marks/}. You can tar up a maildir and remove it from
16095 your server, untar it later, and keep your marks. You can add and
16096 remove marks yourself by creating and deleting mark files. If you do
16097 this while Gnus is running and your @code{nnmaildir} server is open,
16098 it's best to exit all summary buffers for @code{nnmaildir} groups and
16099 type @kbd{s} in the group buffer first, and to type @kbd{g} or
16100 @kbd{M-g} in the group buffer afterwards. Otherwise, Gnus might not
16101 pick up the changes, and might undo them.
16105 @subsubsection Mail Folders
16107 @cindex mbox folders
16108 @cindex mail folders
16110 @code{nnfolder} is a back end for storing each mail group in a
16111 separate file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format.
16112 @code{nnfolder} will add extra headers to keep track of article
16113 numbers and arrival dates.
16115 @cindex self contained nnfolder servers
16117 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnfolder}
16118 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
16119 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
16120 proper @code{nnfolder} server) and have all your marks be preserved.
16121 Marks for a group are usually stored in a file named as the mbox file
16122 with @code{.mrk} concatenated to it (but see
16123 @code{nnfolder-marks-file-suffix}) within the @code{nnfolder}
16124 directory. Individual @code{nnfolder} groups are also possible to
16125 backup, use @kbd{G m} to restore the group (after restoring the backup
16126 into the @code{nnfolder} directory).
16128 Virtual server settings:
16131 @item nnfolder-directory
16132 @vindex nnfolder-directory
16133 All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this
16134 directory. The default is the value of @code{message-directory}
16135 (whose default is @file{~/Mail})
16137 @item nnfolder-active-file
16138 @vindex nnfolder-active-file
16139 The name of the active file. The default is @file{~/Mail/active}.
16141 @item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
16142 @vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
16143 The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
16144 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups}
16146 @item nnfolder-get-new-mail
16147 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
16148 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail. The
16149 default is @code{t}
16151 @item nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
16152 @vindex nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
16153 @cindex backup files
16154 Hook run before saving the folders. Note that Emacs does the normal
16155 backup renaming of files even with the @code{nnfolder} buffers. If
16156 you wish to switch this off, you could say something like the
16157 following in your @file{.emacs} file:
16160 (defun turn-off-backup ()
16161 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
16163 (add-hook 'nnfolder-save-buffer-hook 'turn-off-backup)
16166 @item nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
16167 @vindex nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
16168 Hook run in a buffer narrowed to the message that is to be deleted.
16169 This function can be used to copy the message to somewhere else, or to
16170 extract some information from it before removing it.
16172 @item nnfolder-nov-is-evil
16173 @vindex nnfolder-nov-is-evil
16174 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @acronym{NOV} files. The
16175 default is @code{nil}.
16177 @item nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
16178 @vindex nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
16179 The extension for @acronym{NOV} files. The default is @file{.nov}.
16181 @item nnfolder-nov-directory
16182 @vindex nnfolder-nov-directory
16183 The directory where the @acronym{NOV} files should be stored. If
16184 @code{nil}, @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
16186 @item nnfolder-marks-is-evil
16187 @vindex nnfolder-marks-is-evil
16188 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
16189 default is @code{nil}.
16191 @item nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
16192 @vindex nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
16193 The extension for @sc{marks} files. The default is @file{.mrk}.
16195 @item nnfolder-marks-directory
16196 @vindex nnfolder-marks-directory
16197 The directory where the @sc{marks} files should be stored. If
16198 @code{nil}, @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
16203 @findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
16204 @kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
16205 If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
16206 @code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
16207 command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
16208 @code{nnfolder-directory}. This only works if you use long file names,
16211 @node Comparing Mail Back Ends
16212 @subsubsection Comparing Mail Back Ends
16214 First, just for terminology, the @dfn{back end} is the common word for a
16215 low-level access method---a transport, if you will, by which something
16216 is acquired. The sense is that one's mail has to come from somewhere,
16217 and so selection of a suitable back end is required in order to get that
16218 mail within spitting distance of Gnus.
16220 The same concept exists for Usenet itself: Though access to articles is
16221 typically done by @acronym{NNTP} these days, once upon a midnight dreary, everyone
16222 in the world got at Usenet by running a reader on the machine where the
16223 articles lay (the machine which today we call an @acronym{NNTP} server), and
16224 access was by the reader stepping into the articles' directory spool
16225 area directly. One can still select between either the @code{nntp} or
16226 @code{nnspool} back ends, to select between these methods, if one happens
16227 actually to live on the server (or can see its spool directly, anyway,
16230 The goal in selecting a mail back end is to pick one which
16231 simultaneously represents a suitable way of dealing with the original
16232 format plus leaving mail in a form that is convenient to use in the
16233 future. Here are some high and low points on each:
16238 UNIX systems have historically had a single, very common, and well-
16239 defined format. All messages arrive in a single @dfn{spool file}, and
16240 they are delineated by a line whose regular expression matches
16241 @samp{^From_}. (My notational use of @samp{_} is to indicate a space,
16242 to make it clear in this instance that this is not the RFC-specified
16243 @samp{From:} header.) Because Emacs and therefore Gnus emanate
16244 historically from the Unix environment, it is simplest if one does not
16245 mess a great deal with the original mailbox format, so if one chooses
16246 this back end, Gnus' primary activity in getting mail from the real spool
16247 area to Gnus' preferred directory is simply to copy it, with no
16248 (appreciable) format change in the process. It is the ``dumbest'' way
16249 to move mail into availability in the Gnus environment. This makes it
16250 fast to move into place, but slow to parse, when Gnus has to look at
16255 Once upon a time, there was the DEC-10 and DEC-20, running operating
16256 systems called TOPS and related things, and the usual (only?) mail
16257 reading environment was a thing called Babyl. I don't know what format
16258 was used for mail landing on the system, but Babyl had its own internal
16259 format to which mail was converted, primarily involving creating a
16260 spool-file-like entity with a scheme for inserting Babyl-specific
16261 headers and status bits above the top of each message in the file.
16262 Rmail was Emacs' first mail reader, it was written by Richard Stallman,
16263 and Stallman came out of that TOPS/Babyl environment, so he wrote Rmail
16264 to understand the mail files folks already had in existence. Gnus (and
16265 VM, for that matter) continue to support this format because it's
16266 perceived as having some good qualities in those mailer-specific
16267 headers/status bits stuff. Rmail itself still exists as well, of
16268 course, and is still maintained by Stallman.
16270 Both of the above forms leave your mail in a single file on your
16271 file system, and they must parse that entire file each time you take a
16276 @code{nnml} is the back end which smells the most as though you were
16277 actually operating with an @code{nnspool}-accessed Usenet system. (In
16278 fact, I believe @code{nnml} actually derived from @code{nnspool} code,
16279 lo these years ago.) One's mail is taken from the original spool file,
16280 and is then cut up into individual message files, 1:1. It maintains a
16281 Usenet-style active file (analogous to what one finds in an INN- or
16282 CNews-based news system in (for instance) @file{/var/lib/news/active},
16283 or what is returned via the @samp{NNTP LIST} verb) and also creates
16284 @dfn{overview} files for efficient group entry, as has been defined for
16285 @acronym{NNTP} servers for some years now. It is slower in mail-splitting,
16286 due to the creation of lots of files, updates to the @code{nnml} active
16287 file, and additions to overview files on a per-message basis, but it is
16288 extremely fast on access because of what amounts to the indexing support
16289 provided by the active file and overviews.
16291 @code{nnml} costs @dfn{inodes} in a big way; that is, it soaks up the
16292 resource which defines available places in the file system to put new
16293 files. Sysadmins take a dim view of heavy inode occupation within
16294 tight, shared file systems. But if you live on a personal machine where
16295 the file system is your own and space is not at a premium, @code{nnml}
16298 It is also problematic using this back end if you are living in a
16299 FAT16-based Windows world, since much space will be wasted on all these
16304 The Rand MH mail-reading system has been around UNIX systems for a very
16305 long time; it operates by splitting one's spool file of messages into
16306 individual files, but with little or no indexing support---@code{nnmh}
16307 is considered to be semantically equivalent to ``@code{nnml} without
16308 active file or overviews''. This is arguably the worst choice, because
16309 one gets the slowness of individual file creation married to the
16310 slowness of access parsing when learning what's new in one's groups.
16314 Basically the effect of @code{nnfolder} is @code{nnmbox} (the first
16315 method described above) on a per-group basis. That is, @code{nnmbox}
16316 itself puts @emph{all} one's mail in one file; @code{nnfolder} provides a
16317 little bit of optimization to this so that each of one's mail groups has
16318 a Unix mail box file. It's faster than @code{nnmbox} because each group
16319 can be parsed separately, and still provides the simple Unix mail box
16320 format requiring minimal effort in moving the mail around. In addition,
16321 it maintains an ``active'' file making it much faster for Gnus to figure
16322 out how many messages there are in each separate group.
16324 If you have groups that are expected to have a massive amount of
16325 messages, @code{nnfolder} is not the best choice, but if you receive
16326 only a moderate amount of mail, @code{nnfolder} is probably the most
16327 friendly mail back end all over.
16331 For configuring expiry and other things, @code{nnmaildir} uses
16332 incompatible group parameters, slightly different from those of other
16335 @code{nnmaildir} is largely similar to @code{nnml}, with some notable
16336 differences. Each message is stored in a separate file, but the
16337 filename is unrelated to the article number in Gnus. @code{nnmaildir}
16338 also stores the equivalent of @code{nnml}'s overview files in one file
16339 per article, so it uses about twice as many inodes as @code{nnml}. (Use
16340 @code{df -i} to see how plentiful your inode supply is.) If this slows
16341 you down or takes up very much space, consider switching to
16342 @uref{http://www.namesys.com/, ReiserFS} or another non-block-structured
16345 Since maildirs don't require locking for delivery, the maildirs you use
16346 as groups can also be the maildirs your mail is directly delivered to.
16347 This means you can skip Gnus' mail splitting if your mail is already
16348 organized into different mailboxes during delivery. A @code{directory}
16349 entry in @code{mail-sources} would have a similar effect, but would
16350 require one set of mailboxes for spooling deliveries (in mbox format,
16351 thus damaging message bodies), and another set to be used as groups (in
16352 whatever format you like). A maildir has a built-in spool, in the
16353 @code{new/} subdirectory. Beware that currently, mail moved from
16354 @code{new/} to @code{cur/} instead of via mail splitting will not
16355 undergo treatment such as duplicate checking.
16357 @code{nnmaildir} stores article marks for a given group in the
16358 corresponding maildir, in a way designed so that it's easy to manipulate
16359 them from outside Gnus. You can tar up a maildir, unpack it somewhere
16360 else, and still have your marks. @code{nnml} also stores marks, but
16361 it's not as easy to work with them from outside Gnus as with
16364 @code{nnmaildir} uses a significant amount of memory to speed things up.
16365 (It keeps in memory some of the things that @code{nnml} stores in files
16366 and that @code{nnmh} repeatedly parses out of message files.) If this
16367 is a problem for you, you can set the @code{nov-cache-size} group
16368 parameter to something small (0 would probably not work, but 1 probably
16369 would) to make it use less memory. This caching will probably be
16370 removed in the future.
16372 Startup is likely to be slower with @code{nnmaildir} than with other
16373 back ends. Everything else is likely to be faster, depending in part
16374 on your file system.
16376 @code{nnmaildir} does not use @code{nnoo}, so you cannot use @code{nnoo}
16377 to write an @code{nnmaildir}-derived back end.
16382 @node Browsing the Web
16383 @section Browsing the Web
16385 @cindex browsing the web
16389 Web-based discussion forums are getting more and more popular. On many
16390 subjects, the web-based forums have become the most important forums,
16391 eclipsing the importance of mailing lists and news groups. The reason
16392 is easy to understand---they are friendly to new users; you just point
16393 and click, and there's the discussion. With mailing lists, you have to
16394 go through a cumbersome subscription procedure, and most people don't
16395 even know what a news group is.
16397 The problem with this scenario is that web browsers are not very good at
16398 being newsreaders. They do not keep track of what articles you've read;
16399 they do not allow you to score on subjects you're interested in; they do
16400 not allow off-line browsing; they require you to click around and drive
16401 you mad in the end.
16403 So---if web browsers suck at reading discussion forums, why not use Gnus
16406 Gnus has been getting a bit of a collection of back ends for providing
16407 interfaces to these sources.
16411 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
16412 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
16413 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
16414 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
16415 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
16416 * Customizing W3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/W3 from Gnus.
16419 All the web sources require Emacs/W3 and the url library or those
16420 alternatives to work.
16422 The main caveat with all these web sources is that they probably won't
16423 work for a very long time. Gleaning information from the @acronym{HTML} data
16424 is guesswork at best, and when the layout is altered, the Gnus back end
16425 will fail. If you have reasonably new versions of these back ends,
16426 though, you should be ok.
16428 One thing all these Web methods have in common is that the Web sources
16429 are often down, unavailable or just plain too slow to be fun. In those
16430 cases, it makes a lot of sense to let the Gnus Agent (@pxref{Gnus
16431 Unplugged}) handle downloading articles, and then you can read them at
16432 leisure from your local disk. No more World Wide Wait for you.
16434 @node Archiving Mail
16435 @subsection Archiving Mail
16436 @cindex archiving mail
16437 @cindex backup of mail
16439 Some of the back ends, notably @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, and
16440 @code{nnmaildir}, now actually store the article marks with each group.
16441 For these servers, archiving and restoring a group while preserving
16442 marks is fairly simple.
16444 (Preserving the group level and group parameters as well still
16445 requires ritual dancing and sacrifices to the @file{.newsrc.eld} deity
16448 To archive an entire @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir}
16449 server, take a recursive copy of the server directory. There is no need
16450 to shut down Gnus, so archiving may be invoked by @code{cron} or
16451 similar. You restore the data by restoring the directory tree, and
16452 adding a server definition pointing to that directory in Gnus. The
16453 @ref{Article Backlog}, @ref{Asynchronous Fetching} and other things
16454 might interfere with overwriting data, so you may want to shut down Gnus
16455 before you restore the data.
16457 It is also possible to archive individual @code{nnml},
16458 @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir} groups, while preserving marks.
16459 For @code{nnml} or @code{nnmaildir}, you copy all files in the group's
16460 directory. For @code{nnfolder} you need to copy both the base folder
16461 file itself (@file{FOO}, say), and the marks file (@file{FOO.mrk} in
16462 this example). Restoring the group is done with @kbd{G m} from the Group
16463 buffer. The last step makes Gnus notice the new directory.
16464 @code{nnmaildir} notices the new directory automatically, so @kbd{G m}
16465 is unnecessary in that case.
16468 @subsection Web Searches
16473 @cindex Usenet searches
16474 @cindex searching the Usenet
16476 It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
16477 string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
16478 those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
16479 the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
16480 searches without having to use a browser.
16482 The @code{nnweb} back end allows an easy interface to the mighty search
16483 engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
16484 then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
16485 group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
16486 Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
16488 @code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
16489 groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
16490 each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
16491 pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
16492 manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@pxref{Duplicate
16493 Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
16494 @code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
16495 engines (Google, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
16496 of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
16497 header---mark all articles posted before the last date you read the
16500 If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
16501 won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
16502 providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'@^etre} is to
16503 make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
16504 community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
16505 might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
16507 You must have the @code{url} and @code{W3} package or those alternatives
16508 (try @code{customize-group} on the @samp{mm-url} variable group)
16509 installed to be able to use @code{nnweb}.
16511 Virtual server variables:
16516 What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
16517 are @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}. Note that
16518 @code{dejanews} is an alias to @code{google}.
16521 @vindex nnweb-search
16522 The search string to feed to the search engine.
16524 @item nnweb-max-hits
16525 @vindex nnweb-max-hits
16526 Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
16529 @item nnweb-type-definition
16530 @vindex nnweb-type-definition
16531 Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
16532 with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
16537 Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
16541 Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
16544 Function to send the search string to the search engine.
16547 The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
16551 Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
16558 @subsection Slashdot
16562 @uref{http://slashdot.org/, Slashdot} is a popular news site, with
16563 lively discussion following the news articles. @code{nnslashdot} will
16564 let you read this forum in a convenient manner.
16566 The easiest way to read this source is to put something like the
16567 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
16570 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
16571 '((nnslashdot "")))
16574 This will make Gnus query the @code{nnslashdot} back end for new comments
16575 and groups. The @kbd{F} command will subscribe each new news article as
16576 a new Gnus group, and you can read the comments by entering these
16577 groups. (Note that the default subscription method is to subscribe new
16578 groups as zombies. Other methods are available (@pxref{Subscription
16581 If you want to remove an old @code{nnslashdot} group, the @kbd{G DEL}
16582 command is the most handy tool (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
16584 When following up to @code{nnslashdot} comments (or posting new
16585 comments), some light @acronym{HTML}izations will be performed. In
16586 particular, text quoted with @samp{> } will be quoted with
16587 @samp{blockquote} instead, and signatures will have @samp{br} added to
16588 the end of each line. Other than that, you can just write @acronym{HTML}
16589 directly into the message buffer. Note that Slashdot filters out some
16590 @acronym{HTML} forms.
16592 The following variables can be altered to change its behavior:
16595 @item nnslashdot-threaded
16596 Whether @code{nnslashdot} should display threaded groups or not. The
16597 default is @code{t}. To be able to display threads, @code{nnslashdot}
16598 has to retrieve absolutely all comments in a group upon entry. If a
16599 threaded display is not required, @code{nnslashdot} will only retrieve
16600 the comments that are actually wanted by the user. Threading is nicer,
16601 but much, much slower than unthreaded.
16603 @item nnslashdot-login-name
16604 @vindex nnslashdot-login-name
16605 The login name to use when posting.
16607 @item nnslashdot-password
16608 @vindex nnslashdot-password
16609 The password to use when posting.
16611 @item nnslashdot-directory
16612 @vindex nnslashdot-directory
16613 Where @code{nnslashdot} will store its files. The default is
16614 @file{~/News/slashdot/}.
16616 @item nnslashdot-active-url
16617 @vindex nnslashdot-active-url
16618 The @acronym{URL} format string that will be used to fetch the
16619 information on news articles and comments. The default is@*
16620 @samp{http://slashdot.org/search.pl?section=&min=%d}.
16622 @item nnslashdot-comments-url
16623 @vindex nnslashdot-comments-url
16624 The @acronym{URL} format string that will be used to fetch comments.
16626 @item nnslashdot-article-url
16627 @vindex nnslashdot-article-url
16628 The @acronym{URL} format string that will be used to fetch the news
16629 article. The default is
16630 @samp{http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=%s&mode=nocomment}.
16632 @item nnslashdot-threshold
16633 @vindex nnslashdot-threshold
16634 The score threshold. The default is -1.
16636 @item nnslashdot-group-number
16637 @vindex nnslashdot-group-number
16638 The number of old groups, in addition to the ten latest, to keep
16639 updated. The default is 0.
16646 @subsection Ultimate
16648 @cindex Ultimate Bulletin Board
16650 @uref{http://www.ultimatebb.com/, The Ultimate Bulletin Board} is
16651 probably the most popular Web bulletin board system used. It has a
16652 quite regular and nice interface, and it's possible to get the
16653 information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
16655 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnultimate} is to say
16656 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnultimate RET
16657 http://www.tcj.com/messboard/ubbcgi/ RET}. (Substitute the @acronym{URL}
16658 (not including @samp{Ultimate.cgi} or the like at the end) for a forum
16659 you're interested in; there's quite a list of them on the Ultimate web
16660 site.) Then subscribe to the groups you're interested in from the
16661 server buffer, and read them from the group buffer.
16663 The following @code{nnultimate} variables can be altered:
16666 @item nnultimate-directory
16667 @vindex nnultimate-directory
16668 The directory where @code{nnultimate} stores its files. The default is@*
16669 @file{~/News/ultimate/}.
16674 @subsection Web Archive
16676 @cindex Web Archive
16678 Some mailing lists only have archives on Web servers, such as
16679 @uref{http://www.egroups.com/} and
16680 @uref{http://www.mail-archive.com/}. It has a quite regular and nice
16681 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
16684 @findex gnus-group-make-warchive-group
16685 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnwarchive} is to say
16686 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{M-x
16687 gnus-group-make-warchive-group RET @var{an_egroup} RET egroups RET
16688 www.egroups.com RET @var{your@@email.address} RET}. (Substitute the
16689 @var{an_egroup} with the mailing list you subscribed, the
16690 @var{your@@email.address} with your email address.), or to browse the
16691 back end by @kbd{B nnwarchive RET mail-archive RET}.
16693 The following @code{nnwarchive} variables can be altered:
16696 @item nnwarchive-directory
16697 @vindex nnwarchive-directory
16698 The directory where @code{nnwarchive} stores its files. The default is@*
16699 @file{~/News/warchive/}.
16701 @item nnwarchive-login
16702 @vindex nnwarchive-login
16703 The account name on the web server.
16705 @item nnwarchive-passwd
16706 @vindex nnwarchive-passwd
16707 The password for your account on the web server.
16715 Some web sites have an RDF Site Summary (@acronym{RSS}).
16716 @acronym{RSS} is a format for summarizing headlines from news related
16717 sites (such as BBC or CNN). But basically anything list-like can be
16718 presented as an @acronym{RSS} feed: weblogs, changelogs or recent
16719 changes to a wiki (e.g. @url{http://cliki.net/recent-changes.rdf}).
16721 @acronym{RSS} has a quite regular and nice interface, and it's
16722 possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
16724 Note: you had better use Emacs which supports the @code{utf-8} coding
16725 system because @acronym{RSS} uses UTF-8 for encoding non-@acronym{ASCII}
16726 text by default. It is also used by default for non-@acronym{ASCII}
16729 @kindex G R (Group)
16730 Use @kbd{G R} from the group buffer to subscribe to a feed---you will be
16731 prompted for the location, the title and the description of the feed.
16732 The title, which allows any characters, will be used for the group name
16733 and the name of the group data file. The description can be omitted.
16735 An easy way to get started with @code{nnrss} is to say something like
16736 the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnrss RET RET y}, then
16737 subscribe to groups.
16739 The @code{nnrss} back end saves the group data file in
16740 @code{nnrss-directory} (see below) for each @code{nnrss} group. File
16741 names containing non-@acronym{ASCII} characters will be encoded by the
16742 coding system specified with the @code{nnmail-pathname-coding-system}
16743 variable. If it is @code{nil}, in Emacs the coding system defaults to
16744 the value of @code{default-file-name-coding-system}. If you are using
16745 XEmacs and want to use non-@acronym{ASCII} group names, you should set
16746 the value for the @code{nnmail-pathname-coding-system} variable properly.
16748 The @code{nnrss} back end generates @samp{multipart/alternative}
16749 @acronym{MIME} articles in which each contains a @samp{text/plain} part
16750 and a @samp{text/html} part.
16753 You can also use the following commands to import and export your
16754 subscriptions from a file in @acronym{OPML} format (Outline Processor
16757 @defun nnrss-opml-import file
16758 Prompt for an @acronym{OPML} file, and subscribe to each feed in the
16762 @defun nnrss-opml-export
16763 Write your current @acronym{RSS} subscriptions to a buffer in
16764 @acronym{OPML} format.
16767 The following @code{nnrss} variables can be altered:
16770 @item nnrss-directory
16771 @vindex nnrss-directory
16772 The directory where @code{nnrss} stores its files. The default is
16773 @file{~/News/rss/}.
16775 @item nnrss-file-coding-system
16776 @vindex nnrss-file-coding-system
16777 The coding system used when reading and writing the @code{nnrss} groups
16778 data files. The default is the value of
16779 @code{mm-universal-coding-system} (which defaults to @code{emacs-mule}
16780 in Emacs or @code{escape-quoted} in XEmacs).
16782 @item nnrss-ignore-article-fields
16783 @vindex nnrss-ignore-article-fields
16784 Some feeds update constantly article fields during their publications,
16785 e.g. to indicate the number of comments. However, if there is
16786 a difference between the local article and the distant one, the latter
16787 is considered to be new. To avoid this and discard some fields, set this
16788 variable to the list of fields to be ignored. The default is
16789 @code{'(slash:comments)}.
16791 @item nnrss-use-local
16792 @vindex nnrss-use-local
16793 @findex nnrss-generate-download-script
16794 If you set @code{nnrss-use-local} to @code{t}, @code{nnrss} will read
16795 the feeds from local files in @code{nnrss-directory}. You can use
16796 the command @code{nnrss-generate-download-script} to generate a
16797 download script using @command{wget}.
16799 @item nnrss-wash-html-in-text-plain-parts
16800 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{nnrss} renders text in @samp{text/plain}
16801 parts as @acronym{HTML}. The function specified by the
16802 @code{mm-text-html-renderer} variable (@pxref{Display Customization,
16803 ,Display Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}) will be used
16804 to render text. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default, text will
16805 simply be folded. Leave it @code{nil} if you prefer to see
16806 @samp{text/html} parts.
16809 The following code may be helpful, if you want to show the description in
16810 the summary buffer.
16813 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-description-field)
16814 (setq gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-15,15f%]%) %s%uX\n")
16816 (defun gnus-user-format-function-X (header)
16818 (assq nnrss-description-field (mail-header-extra header))))
16819 (if descr (concat "\n\t" (cdr descr)) "")))
16822 The following code may be useful to open an nnrss url directly from the
16826 (require 'browse-url)
16828 (defun browse-nnrss-url (arg)
16830 (let ((url (assq nnrss-url-field
16833 (assq (gnus-summary-article-number)
16834 gnus-newsgroup-data))))))
16837 (browse-url (cdr url))
16838 (gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward 1))
16839 (gnus-summary-scroll-up arg))))
16841 (eval-after-load "gnus"
16842 #'(define-key gnus-summary-mode-map
16843 (kbd "<RET>") 'browse-nnrss-url))
16844 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-url-field)
16847 Even if you have added @code{"text/html"} to the
16848 @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives} variable (@pxref{Display
16849 Customization, ,Display Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME
16850 Manual}) since you don't want to see @acronym{HTML} parts, it might be
16851 more useful especially in @code{nnrss} groups to display
16852 @samp{text/html} parts. Here's an example of setting
16853 @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives} as a group parameter (@pxref{Group
16854 Parameters}) in order to display @samp{text/html} parts only in
16855 @code{nnrss} groups:
16858 ;; @r{Set the default value of @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives}.}
16859 (eval-after-load "gnus-sum"
16861 'gnus-newsgroup-variables
16862 '(mm-discouraged-alternatives
16863 . '("text/html" "image/.*"))))
16865 ;; @r{Display @samp{text/html} parts in @code{nnrss} groups.}
16868 '("\\`nnrss:" (mm-discouraged-alternatives nil)))
16872 @node Customizing W3
16873 @subsection Customizing W3
16879 Gnus uses the url library to fetch web pages and Emacs/W3 (or those
16880 alternatives) to display web pages. Emacs/W3 is documented in its own
16881 manual, but there are some things that may be more relevant for Gnus
16884 For instance, a common question is how to make Emacs/W3 follow links
16885 using the @code{browse-url} functions (which will call some external web
16886 browser like Netscape). Here's one way:
16889 (eval-after-load "w3"
16891 (fset 'w3-fetch-orig (symbol-function 'w3-fetch))
16892 (defun w3-fetch (&optional url target)
16893 (interactive (list (w3-read-url-with-default)))
16894 (if (eq major-mode 'gnus-article-mode)
16896 (w3-fetch-orig url target)))))
16899 Put that in your @file{.emacs} file, and hitting links in W3-rendered
16900 @acronym{HTML} in the Gnus article buffers will use @code{browse-url} to
16907 @cindex @acronym{IMAP}
16909 @acronym{IMAP} is a network protocol for reading mail (or news, or @dots{}),
16910 think of it as a modernized @acronym{NNTP}. Connecting to a @acronym{IMAP}
16911 server is much similar to connecting to a news server, you just
16912 specify the network address of the server.
16914 @acronym{IMAP} has two properties. First, @acronym{IMAP} can do
16915 everything that @acronym{POP} can, it can hence be viewed as a
16916 @acronym{POP++}. Secondly, @acronym{IMAP} is a mail storage protocol,
16917 similar to @acronym{NNTP} being a news storage protocol---however,
16918 @acronym{IMAP} offers more features than @acronym{NNTP} because news
16919 is more or less read-only whereas mail is read-write.
16921 If you want to use @acronym{IMAP} as a @acronym{POP++}, use an imap
16922 entry in @code{mail-sources}. With this, Gnus will fetch mails from
16923 the @acronym{IMAP} server and store them on the local disk. This is
16924 not the usage described in this section---@xref{Mail Sources}.
16926 If you want to use @acronym{IMAP} as a mail storage protocol, use an nnimap
16927 entry in @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods}. With this, Gnus will
16928 manipulate mails stored on the @acronym{IMAP} server. This is the kind of
16929 usage explained in this section.
16931 A server configuration in @file{~/.gnus.el} with a few @acronym{IMAP}
16932 servers might look something like the following. (Note that for
16933 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}, you need external programs and libraries,
16937 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
16938 '((nnimap "simpleserver") ; @r{no special configuration}
16939 ; @r{perhaps a ssh port forwarded server:}
16941 (nnimap-address "localhost")
16942 (nnimap-server-port 1430))
16943 ; @r{a UW server running on localhost}
16945 (nnimap-server-port 143)
16946 (nnimap-address "localhost")
16947 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "mail/*")))
16948 ; @r{anonymous public cyrus server:}
16949 (nnimap "cyrus.andrew.cmu.edu"
16950 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous)
16951 (nnimap-list-pattern "archive.*")
16952 (nnimap-stream network))
16953 ; @r{a ssl server on a non-standard port:}
16955 (nnimap-address "vic20.somewhere.com")
16956 (nnimap-server-port 9930)
16957 (nnimap-stream ssl))))
16960 After defining the new server, you can subscribe to groups on the
16961 server using normal Gnus commands such as @kbd{U} in the Group Buffer
16962 (@pxref{Subscription Commands}) or via the Server Buffer
16963 (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
16965 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nnimap}
16970 @item nnimap-address
16971 @vindex nnimap-address
16973 The address of the remote @acronym{IMAP} server. Defaults to the virtual
16974 server name if not specified.
16976 @item nnimap-server-port
16977 @vindex nnimap-server-port
16978 Port on server to contact. Defaults to port 143, or 993 for @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}.
16980 Note that this should be an integer, example server specification:
16983 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
16984 (nnimap-server-port 4711))
16987 @item nnimap-list-pattern
16988 @vindex nnimap-list-pattern
16989 String or list of strings of mailboxes to limit available groups to.
16990 This is used when the server has very many mailboxes and you're only
16991 interested in a few---some servers export your home directory via
16992 @acronym{IMAP}, you'll probably want to limit the mailboxes to those in
16993 @file{~/Mail/*} then.
16995 The string can also be a cons of REFERENCE and the string as above, what
16996 REFERENCE is used for is server specific, but on the University of
16997 Washington server it's a directory that will be concatenated with the
17000 Example server specification:
17003 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
17004 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "Mail/*" "alt.sex.*"
17005 ("~friend/Mail/" . "list/*"))))
17008 @item nnimap-stream
17009 @vindex nnimap-stream
17010 The type of stream used to connect to your server. By default, nnimap
17011 will detect and automatically use all of the below, with the exception
17012 of @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}. (@acronym{IMAP} over
17013 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} is being replaced by STARTTLS, which can
17014 be automatically detected, but it's not widely deployed yet.)
17016 Example server specification:
17019 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
17020 (nnimap-stream ssl))
17023 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-stream} is a symbol!
17027 @dfn{gssapi:} Connect with GSSAPI (usually Kerberos 5). Requires the
17028 @samp{gsasl} or @samp{imtest} program.
17030 @dfn{kerberos4:} Connect with Kerberos 4. Requires the @samp{imtest} program.
17032 @dfn{starttls:} Connect via the STARTTLS extension (similar to
17033 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}). Requires the external library @samp{starttls.el} and program
17036 @dfn{tls:} Connect through @acronym{TLS}. Requires GNUTLS (the program
17037 @samp{gnutls-cli}).
17039 @dfn{ssl:} Connect through @acronym{SSL}. Requires OpenSSL (the program
17040 @samp{openssl}) or SSLeay (@samp{s_client}).
17042 @dfn{shell:} Use a shell command to start @acronym{IMAP} connection.
17044 @dfn{network:} Plain, TCP/IP network connection.
17047 @vindex imap-kerberos4-program
17048 The @samp{imtest} program is shipped with Cyrus IMAPD. If you're
17049 using @samp{imtest} from Cyrus IMAPD < 2.0.14 (which includes version
17050 1.5.x and 1.6.x) you need to frob @code{imap-process-connection-type}
17051 to make @code{imap.el} use a pty instead of a pipe when communicating
17052 with @samp{imtest}. You will then suffer from a line length
17053 restrictions on @acronym{IMAP} commands, which might make Gnus seem to hang
17054 indefinitely if you have many articles in a mailbox. The variable
17055 @code{imap-kerberos4-program} contain parameters to pass to the imtest
17058 For @acronym{TLS} connection, the @code{gnutls-cli} program from GNUTLS is
17059 needed. It is available from
17060 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gnutls/}.
17062 @vindex imap-gssapi-program
17063 This parameter specifies a list of command lines that invoke a GSSAPI
17064 authenticated @acronym{IMAP} stream in a subshell. They are tried
17065 sequentially until a connection is made, or the list has been
17066 exhausted. By default, @samp{gsasl} from GNU SASL, available from
17067 @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gsasl/}, and the @samp{imtest}
17068 program from Cyrus IMAPD (see @code{imap-kerberos4-program}), are
17071 @vindex imap-ssl-program
17072 For @acronym{SSL} connections, the OpenSSL program is available from
17073 @uref{http://www.openssl.org/}. OpenSSL was formerly known as SSLeay,
17074 and nnimap support it too---although the most recent versions of
17075 SSLeay, 0.9.x, are known to have serious bugs making it
17076 useless. Earlier versions, especially 0.8.x, of SSLeay are known to
17077 work. The variable @code{imap-ssl-program} contain parameters to pass
17080 @vindex imap-shell-program
17081 @vindex imap-shell-host
17082 For @acronym{IMAP} connections using the @code{shell} stream, the
17083 variable @code{imap-shell-program} specify what program to call. Make
17084 sure nothing is interfering with the output of the program, e.g., don't
17085 forget to redirect the error output to the void.
17087 @item nnimap-authenticator
17088 @vindex nnimap-authenticator
17090 The authenticator used to connect to the server. By default, nnimap
17091 will use the most secure authenticator your server is capable of.
17093 Example server specification:
17096 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
17097 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous))
17100 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-authenticator} is a symbol!
17104 @dfn{gssapi:} GSSAPI (usually kerberos 5) authentication. Requires
17105 external program @code{gsasl} or @code{imtest}.
17107 @dfn{kerberos4:} Kerberos 4 authentication. Requires external program
17110 @dfn{digest-md5:} Encrypted username/password via DIGEST-MD5. Requires
17111 external library @code{digest-md5.el}.
17113 @dfn{cram-md5:} Encrypted username/password via CRAM-MD5.
17115 @dfn{login:} Plain-text username/password via LOGIN.
17117 @dfn{anonymous:} Login as ``anonymous'', supplying your email address as password.
17120 @item nnimap-expunge-on-close
17122 @vindex nnimap-expunge-on-close
17123 Unlike Parmenides the @acronym{IMAP} designers have decided things that
17124 don't exist actually do exist. More specifically, @acronym{IMAP} has
17125 this concept of marking articles @code{Deleted} which doesn't actually
17126 delete them, and this (marking them @code{Deleted}, that is) is what
17127 nnimap does when you delete an article in Gnus (with @kbd{B DEL} or
17130 Since the articles aren't really removed when we mark them with the
17131 @code{Deleted} flag we'll need a way to actually delete them. Feel like
17132 running in circles yet?
17134 Traditionally, nnimap has removed all articles marked as @code{Deleted}
17135 when closing a mailbox but this is now configurable by this server
17138 The possible options are:
17143 The default behavior, delete all articles marked as ``Deleted'' when
17146 Never actually delete articles. Currently there is no way of showing
17147 the articles marked for deletion in nnimap, but other @acronym{IMAP} clients
17148 may allow you to do this. If you ever want to run the EXPUNGE command
17149 manually, @xref{Expunging mailboxes}.
17151 When closing mailboxes, nnimap will ask if you wish to expunge deleted
17156 @item nnimap-importantize-dormant
17157 @vindex nnimap-importantize-dormant
17159 If non-@code{nil} (the default), marks dormant articles as ticked (as
17160 well), for other @acronym{IMAP} clients. Within Gnus, dormant articles will
17161 naturally still (only) be marked as dormant. This is to make dormant
17162 articles stand out, just like ticked articles, in other @acronym{IMAP}
17163 clients. (In other words, Gnus has two ``Tick'' marks and @acronym{IMAP}
17166 Probably the only reason for frobbing this would be if you're trying
17167 enable per-user persistent dormant flags, using something like:
17170 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-flag-alist)
17171 (format "gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
17172 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-predicate-alist)
17173 (format "KEYWORD gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
17176 In this case, you would not want the per-user dormant flag showing up
17177 as ticked for other users.
17179 @item nnimap-expunge-search-string
17181 @vindex nnimap-expunge-search-string
17182 @cindex expiring @acronym{IMAP} mail
17184 This variable contain the @acronym{IMAP} search command sent to server when
17185 searching for articles eligible for expiring. The default is
17186 @code{"UID %s NOT SINCE %s"}, where the first @code{%s} is replaced by
17187 UID set and the second @code{%s} is replaced by a date.
17189 Probably the only useful value to change this to is
17190 @code{"UID %s NOT SENTSINCE %s"}, which makes nnimap use the Date: in
17191 messages instead of the internal article date. See section 6.4.4 of
17192 RFC 2060 for more information on valid strings.
17194 However, if @code{nnimap-search-uids-not-since-is-evil}
17195 is true, this variable has no effect since the search logic
17196 is reversed, as described below.
17198 @item nnimap-authinfo-file
17199 @vindex nnimap-authinfo-file
17201 A file containing credentials used to log in on servers. The format is
17202 (almost) the same as the @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file. See the
17203 variable @code{nntp-authinfo-file} for exact syntax; also see
17204 @ref{NNTP}. An example of an .authinfo line for an IMAP server, is:
17207 machine students.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis port imap
17210 Note that it should be @code{port imap}, or @code{port 143}, if you
17211 use a @code{nnimap-stream} of @code{tls} or @code{ssl}, even if the
17212 actual port number used is port 993 for secured IMAP. For
17213 convenience, Gnus will accept @code{port imaps} as a synonym of
17216 @item nnimap-need-unselect-to-notice-new-mail
17217 @vindex nnimap-need-unselect-to-notice-new-mail
17219 Unselect mailboxes before looking for new mail in them. Some servers
17220 seem to need this under some circumstances; it was reported that
17223 @item nnimap-nov-is-evil
17224 @vindex nnimap-nov-is-evil
17225 @cindex Courier @acronym{IMAP} server
17226 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
17228 Never generate or use a local @acronym{NOV} database. Defaults to the
17229 value of @code{gnus-agent}.
17231 Using a @acronym{NOV} database usually makes header fetching much
17232 faster, but it uses the @code{UID SEARCH UID} command, which is very
17233 slow on some servers (notably some versions of Courier). Since the Gnus
17234 Agent caches the information in the @acronym{NOV} database without using
17235 the slow command, this variable defaults to true if the Agent is in use,
17236 and false otherwise.
17238 @item nnimap-search-uids-not-since-is-evil
17239 @vindex nnimap-search-uids-not-since-is-evil
17240 @cindex Courier @acronym{IMAP} server
17241 @cindex expiring @acronym{IMAP} mail
17243 Avoid the @code{UID SEARCH UID @var{message numbers} NOT SINCE
17244 @var{date}} command, which is slow on some @acronym{IMAP} servers
17245 (notably, some versions of Courier). Instead, use @code{UID SEARCH SINCE
17246 @var{date}} and prune the list of expirable articles within Gnus.
17248 When Gnus expires your mail (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), it starts with a
17249 list of expirable articles and asks the IMAP server questions like ``Of
17250 these articles, which ones are older than a week?'' While this seems
17251 like a perfectly reasonable question, some IMAP servers take a long time
17252 to answer it, since they seemingly go looking into every old article to
17253 see if it is one of the expirable ones. Curiously, the question ``Of
17254 @emph{all} articles, which ones are newer than a week?'' seems to be
17255 much faster to answer, so setting this variable causes Gnus to ask this
17256 question and figure out the answer to the real question itself.
17258 This problem can really sneak up on you: when you first configure Gnus,
17259 everything works fine, but once you accumulate a couple thousand
17260 messages, you start cursing Gnus for being so slow. On the other hand,
17261 if you get a lot of email within a week, setting this variable will
17262 cause a lot of network traffic between Gnus and the IMAP server.
17264 @item nnimap-logout-timeout
17265 @vindex nnimap-logout-timeout
17267 There is a case where a connection to a @acronym{IMAP} server is unable
17268 to close, when connecting to the server via a certain kind of network,
17269 e.g. @acronym{VPN}. In that case, it will be observed that a connection
17270 between Emacs and the local network looks alive even if the server has
17271 closed a connection for some reason (typically, a timeout).
17272 Consequently, Emacs continues waiting for a response from the server for
17273 the @code{LOGOUT} command that Emacs sent, or hangs in other words. If
17274 you are in such a network, setting this variable to a number of seconds
17275 will be helpful. If it is set, a hung connection will be closed
17276 forcibly, after this number of seconds from the time Emacs sends the
17277 @code{LOGOUT} command. It should not be too small value but too large
17278 value will be inconvenient too. Perhaps the value 1.0 will be a good
17279 candidate but it might be worth trying some other values.
17281 Example server specification:
17284 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
17285 (nnimap-logout-timeout 1.0))
17291 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
17292 * Expiring in IMAP:: Expiring mail with nnimap.
17293 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
17294 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a ``compress mailbox'' button.
17295 * A note on namespaces:: How to (not) use @acronym{IMAP} namespace in Gnus.
17296 * Debugging IMAP:: What to do when things don't work.
17301 @node Splitting in IMAP
17302 @subsection Splitting in IMAP
17303 @cindex splitting imap mail
17305 Splitting is something Gnus users have loved and used for years, and now
17306 the rest of the world is catching up. Yeah, dream on, not many
17307 @acronym{IMAP} servers have server side splitting and those that have
17308 splitting seem to use some non-standard protocol. This means that
17309 @acronym{IMAP} support for Gnus has to do its own splitting.
17313 (Incidentally, people seem to have been dreaming on, and Sieve has
17314 gaining a market share and is supported by several IMAP servers.
17315 Fortunately, Gnus support it too, @xref{Sieve Commands}.)
17317 Here are the variables of interest:
17321 @item nnimap-split-crosspost
17322 @cindex splitting, crosspost
17324 @vindex nnimap-split-crosspost
17326 If non-@code{nil}, do crossposting if several split methods match the
17327 mail. If @code{nil}, the first match in @code{nnimap-split-rule}
17328 found will be used.
17330 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-crosspost}.
17332 @item nnimap-split-inbox
17333 @cindex splitting, inbox
17335 @vindex nnimap-split-inbox
17337 A string or a list of strings that gives the name(s) of @acronym{IMAP}
17338 mailboxes to split from. Defaults to @code{nil}, which means that
17339 splitting is disabled!
17342 (setq nnimap-split-inbox
17343 '("INBOX" ("~/friend/Mail" . "lists/*") "lists.imap"))
17346 No nnmail equivalent.
17348 @item nnimap-split-rule
17349 @cindex splitting, rules
17350 @vindex nnimap-split-rule
17352 New mail found in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be split according to
17355 This variable contains a list of lists, where the first element in the
17356 sublist gives the name of the @acronym{IMAP} mailbox to move articles
17357 matching the regexp in the second element in the sublist. Got that?
17358 Neither did I, we need examples.
17361 (setq nnimap-split-rule
17363 "^Sender: owner-nnimap@@vic20.globalcom.se")
17364 ("INBOX.junk" "^Subject:.*MAKE MONEY")
17365 ("INBOX.private" "")))
17368 This will put all articles from the nnimap mailing list into mailbox
17369 INBOX.nnimap, all articles containing MAKE MONEY in the Subject: line
17370 into INBOX.junk and everything else in INBOX.private.
17372 The first string may contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by
17373 replace-match to insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For
17377 ("INBOX.lists.\\1" "^Sender: owner-\\([a-z-]+\\)@@")
17380 The first element can also be the symbol @code{junk} to indicate that
17381 matching messages should simply be deleted. Use with care.
17383 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
17384 called with the first element of the rule as the argument, in a buffer
17385 containing the headers of the article. It should return a
17386 non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the mail belongs in that group.
17388 Nnmail users might recollect that the last regexp had to be empty to
17389 match all articles (like in the example above). This is not required in
17390 nnimap. Articles not matching any of the regexps will not be moved out
17391 of your inbox. (This might affect performance if you keep lots of
17392 unread articles in your inbox, since the splitting code would go over
17393 them every time you fetch new mail.)
17395 These rules are processed from the beginning of the alist toward the
17396 end. The first rule to make a match will ``win'', unless you have
17397 crossposting enabled. In that case, all matching rules will ``win''.
17399 This variable can also have a function as its value, the function will
17400 be called with the headers narrowed and should return a group where it
17401 thinks the article should be split to. See @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
17403 The splitting code tries to create mailboxes if it needs to.
17405 To allow for different split rules on different virtual servers, and
17406 even different split rules in different inboxes on the same server,
17407 the syntax of this variable have been extended along the lines of:
17410 (setq nnimap-split-rule
17411 '(("my1server" (".*" (("ding" "ding@@gnus.org")
17412 ("junk" "From:.*Simon"))))
17413 ("my2server" ("INBOX" nnimap-split-fancy))
17414 ("my[34]server" (".*" (("private" "To:.*Simon")
17415 ("junk" my-junk-func))))))
17418 The virtual server name is in fact a regexp, so that the same rules
17419 may apply to several servers. In the example, the servers
17420 @code{my3server} and @code{my4server} both use the same rules.
17421 Similarly, the inbox string is also a regexp. The actual splitting
17422 rules are as before, either a function, or a list with group/regexp or
17423 group/function elements.
17425 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
17427 @item nnimap-split-predicate
17429 @vindex nnimap-split-predicate
17431 Mail matching this predicate in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be
17432 split, it is a string and the default is @samp{UNSEEN UNDELETED}.
17434 This might be useful if you use another @acronym{IMAP} client to read mail in
17435 your inbox but would like Gnus to split all articles in the inbox
17436 regardless of readedness. Then you might change this to
17439 @item nnimap-split-fancy
17440 @cindex splitting, fancy
17441 @findex nnimap-split-fancy
17442 @vindex nnimap-split-fancy
17444 It's possible to set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
17445 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} if you want to use fancy
17446 splitting. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
17448 However, to be able to have different fancy split rules for nnmail and
17449 nnimap back ends you can set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
17450 @code{nnimap-split-fancy} and define the nnimap specific fancy split
17451 rule in @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
17456 (setq nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
17457 nnimap-split-fancy ...)
17460 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
17462 @item nnimap-split-download-body
17463 @findex nnimap-split-download-body
17464 @vindex nnimap-split-download-body
17466 Set to non-@code{nil} to download entire articles during splitting.
17467 This is generally not required, and will slow things down
17468 considerably. You may need it if you want to use an advanced
17469 splitting function that analyzes the body to split the article.
17473 @node Expiring in IMAP
17474 @subsection Expiring in IMAP
17475 @cindex expiring @acronym{IMAP} mail
17477 Even though @code{nnimap} is not a proper @code{nnmail} derived back
17478 end, it supports most features in regular expiring (@pxref{Expiring
17479 Mail}). Unlike splitting in @acronym{IMAP} (@pxref{Splitting in
17480 IMAP}) it does not clone the @code{nnmail} variables (i.e., creating
17481 @var{nnimap-expiry-wait}) but reuse the @code{nnmail} variables. What
17482 follows below are the variables used by the @code{nnimap} expiry
17485 A note on how the expire mark is stored on the @acronym{IMAP} server is
17486 appropriate here as well. The expire mark is translated into a
17487 @code{imap} client specific mark, @code{gnus-expire}, and stored on the
17488 message. This means that likely only Gnus will understand and treat
17489 the @code{gnus-expire} mark properly, although other clients may allow
17490 you to view client specific flags on the message. It also means that
17491 your server must support permanent storage of client specific flags on
17492 messages. Most do, fortunately.
17494 If expiring @acronym{IMAP} mail seems very slow, try setting the server
17495 variable @code{nnimap-search-uids-not-since-is-evil}.
17499 @item nnmail-expiry-wait
17500 @item nnmail-expiry-wait-function
17502 These variables are fully supported. The expire value can be a
17503 number, the symbol @code{immediate} or @code{never}.
17505 @item nnmail-expiry-target
17507 This variable is supported, and internally implemented by calling the
17508 @code{nnmail} functions that handle this. It contains an optimization
17509 that if the destination is a @acronym{IMAP} group on the same server, the
17510 article is copied instead of appended (that is, uploaded again).
17514 @node Editing IMAP ACLs
17515 @subsection Editing IMAP ACLs
17516 @cindex editing imap acls
17517 @cindex Access Control Lists
17518 @cindex Editing @acronym{IMAP} ACLs
17519 @kindex G l (Group)
17520 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-edit-acl
17522 ACL stands for Access Control List. ACLs are used in @acronym{IMAP} for
17523 limiting (or enabling) other users access to your mail boxes. Not all
17524 @acronym{IMAP} servers support this, this function will give an error if it
17527 To edit an ACL for a mailbox, type @kbd{G l}
17528 (@code{gnus-group-edit-nnimap-acl}) and you'll be presented with an ACL
17529 editing window with detailed instructions.
17531 Some possible uses:
17535 Giving ``anyone'' the ``lrs'' rights (lookup, read, keep seen/unseen flags)
17536 on your mailing list mailboxes enables other users on the same server to
17537 follow the list without subscribing to it.
17539 At least with the Cyrus server, you are required to give the user
17540 ``anyone'' posting ("p") capabilities to have ``plussing'' work (that is,
17541 mail sent to user+mailbox@@domain ending up in the @acronym{IMAP} mailbox
17545 @node Expunging mailboxes
17546 @subsection Expunging mailboxes
17550 @cindex manual expunging
17551 @kindex G x (Group)
17552 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-expunge
17554 If you're using the @code{never} setting of @code{nnimap-expunge-on-close},
17555 you may want the option of expunging all deleted articles in a mailbox
17556 manually. This is exactly what @kbd{G x} does.
17558 Currently there is no way of showing deleted articles, you can just
17561 @node A note on namespaces
17562 @subsection A note on namespaces
17563 @cindex IMAP namespace
17566 The @acronym{IMAP} protocol has a concept called namespaces, described
17567 by the following text in the RFC2060:
17570 5.1.2. Mailbox Namespace Naming Convention
17572 By convention, the first hierarchical element of any mailbox name
17573 which begins with "#" identifies the "namespace" of the remainder of
17574 the name. This makes it possible to disambiguate between different
17575 types of mailbox stores, each of which have their own namespaces.
17577 For example, implementations which offer access to USENET
17578 newsgroups MAY use the "#news" namespace to partition the USENET
17579 newsgroup namespace from that of other mailboxes. Thus, the
17580 comp.mail.misc newsgroup would have an mailbox name of
17581 "#news.comp.mail.misc", and the name "comp.mail.misc" could refer
17582 to a different object (e.g. a user's private mailbox).
17585 While there is nothing in this text that warrants concern for the
17586 @acronym{IMAP} implementation in Gnus, some servers use namespace
17587 prefixes in a way that does not work with how Gnus uses mailbox names.
17589 Specifically, University of Washington's @acronym{IMAP} server uses
17590 mailbox names like @code{#driver.mbx/read-mail} which are valid only
17591 in the @sc{create} and @sc{append} commands. After the mailbox is
17592 created (or a messages is appended to a mailbox), it must be accessed
17593 without the namespace prefix, i.e. @code{read-mail}. Since Gnus do
17594 not make it possible for the user to guarantee that user entered
17595 mailbox names will only be used with the CREATE and APPEND commands,
17596 you should simply not use the namespace prefixed mailbox names in
17599 See the UoW IMAPD documentation for the @code{#driver.*/} prefix
17600 for more information on how to use the prefixes. They are a power
17601 tool and should be used only if you are sure what the effects are.
17603 @node Debugging IMAP
17604 @subsection Debugging IMAP
17605 @cindex IMAP debugging
17606 @cindex protocol dump (IMAP)
17608 @acronym{IMAP} is a complex protocol, more so than @acronym{NNTP} or
17609 @acronym{POP3}. Implementation bugs are not unlikely, and we do our
17610 best to fix them right away. If you encounter odd behavior, chances
17611 are that either the server or Gnus is buggy.
17613 If you are familiar with network protocols in general, you will
17614 probably be able to extract some clues from the protocol dump of the
17615 exchanges between Gnus and the server. Even if you are not familiar
17616 with network protocols, when you include the protocol dump in
17617 @acronym{IMAP}-related bug reports you are helping us with data
17618 critical to solving the problem. Therefore, we strongly encourage you
17619 to include the protocol dump when reporting IMAP bugs in Gnus.
17623 Because the protocol dump, when enabled, generates lots of data, it is
17624 disabled by default. You can enable it by setting @code{imap-log} as
17631 This instructs the @code{imap.el} package to log any exchanges with
17632 the server. The log is stored in the buffer @samp{*imap-log*}. Look
17633 for error messages, which sometimes are tagged with the keyword
17634 @code{BAD}---but when submitting a bug, make sure to include all the
17637 @node Other Sources
17638 @section Other Sources
17640 Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
17641 below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
17645 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
17646 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
17647 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
17648 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
17649 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
17653 @node Directory Groups
17654 @subsection Directory Groups
17656 @cindex directory groups
17658 If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
17659 it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
17662 This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp} (and its
17663 successor @code{efs}), that most wonderful of all wonderful Emacs
17664 packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I didn't think much about it---a
17665 back end to read directories. Big deal.
17667 @code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
17668 enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
17669 @file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the directory name,
17670 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will actually allow you to read this
17671 directory over at @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
17673 @code{nndir} will use @acronym{NOV} files if they are present.
17675 @code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' back end---you can't delete or expire
17676 articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
17677 whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
17678 methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
17681 @node Anything Groups
17682 @subsection Anything Groups
17685 From the @code{nndir} back end (which reads a single spool-like
17686 directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
17687 pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
17690 When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
17691 directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
17692 a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
17693 After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're forgetting.
17694 @code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it snoops each
17695 file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e., the first
17696 few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head. If this is
17697 just some arbitrary file without a head (e.g. a C source file),
17698 @code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It will use
17699 file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
17702 All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
17703 with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
17704 newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
17705 in the article buffer, just as usual.
17707 If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
17708 a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
17709 traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
17710 Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
17712 There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
17713 doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
17714 will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
17715 are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
17716 normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
17717 article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
17718 other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
17719 be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
17724 @item nneething-map-file-directory
17725 @vindex nneething-map-file-directory
17726 All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
17727 in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
17729 @item nneething-exclude-files
17730 @vindex nneething-exclude-files
17731 All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
17732 auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
17734 @item nneething-include-files
17735 @vindex nneething-include-files
17736 Regexp saying what files to include in the group. If this variable is
17737 non-@code{nil}, only files matching this regexp will be included.
17739 @item nneething-map-file
17740 @vindex nneething-map-file
17741 Name of the map files.
17745 @node Document Groups
17746 @subsection Document Groups
17748 @cindex documentation group
17751 @code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
17752 as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
17758 The Babyl (Rmail) mail box.
17763 The standard Unix mbox file.
17765 @cindex MMDF mail box
17767 The MMDF mail box format.
17770 Several news articles appended into a file.
17772 @cindex rnews batch files
17774 The rnews batch transport format.
17777 Netscape mail boxes.
17780 @acronym{MIME} multipart messages.
17782 @item standard-digest
17783 The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
17786 A @acronym{MIME} digest of messages.
17788 @item lanl-gov-announce
17789 Announcement messages from LANL Gov Announce.
17791 @cindex forwarded messages
17792 @item rfc822-forward
17793 A message forwarded according to RFC822.
17796 The Outlook mail box.
17799 The Outlook Express dbx mail box.
17802 A bounce message from the Exim MTA.
17805 A message forwarded according to informal rules.
17808 An RFC934-forwarded message.
17814 A digest of Clarinet brief news items.
17817 Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
17823 You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
17824 that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
17825 @code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
17828 @code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
17829 it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
17830 group. And that's it.
17832 If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
17833 new & spiffy Gnus mail back end, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
17834 that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
17835 to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
17836 @code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
17837 (@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
17838 the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
17839 using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
17840 file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
17841 delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
17843 Virtual server variables:
17846 @item nndoc-article-type
17847 @vindex nndoc-article-type
17848 This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
17849 @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{rfc934},
17850 @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts}, @code{standard-digest},
17851 @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs}, @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook},
17852 @code{oe-dbx}, @code{mailman}, and @code{mail-in-mail} or @code{guess}.
17854 @item nndoc-post-type
17855 @vindex nndoc-post-type
17856 This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
17857 a mail group. There are two valid values: @code{mail} (the default)
17862 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
17866 @node Document Server Internals
17867 @subsubsection Document Server Internals
17869 Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
17870 difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
17871 looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
17872 and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
17874 First, here's an example document type definition:
17878 (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
17879 (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
17882 The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
17883 regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
17884 variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
17885 types can be defined with very few settings:
17888 @item first-article
17889 If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
17890 something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
17893 @item article-begin
17894 This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
17895 says what the beginning of each article looks like. To do more
17896 complicated things that cannot be dealt with a simple regexp, you can
17897 use @code{article-begin-function} instead of this.
17899 @item article-begin-function
17900 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the beginning
17901 of each article. This setting overrides @code{article-begin}.
17904 If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
17905 article. To do more complicated things that cannot be dealt with a
17906 simple regexp, you can use @code{head-begin-function} instead of this.
17908 @item head-begin-function
17909 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
17910 the article. This setting overrides @code{head-begin}.
17913 This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
17914 @samp{^$}---the empty line.
17917 This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
17918 to @samp{^\n}. To do more complicated things that cannot be dealt with
17919 a simple regexp, you can use @code{body-begin-function} instead of this.
17921 @item body-begin-function
17922 If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
17923 of the article. This setting overrides @code{body-begin}.
17926 If present, this should match the end of the body of the article. To do
17927 more complicated things that cannot be dealt with a simple regexp, you
17928 can use @code{body-end-function} instead of this.
17930 @item body-end-function
17931 If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
17932 the article. This setting overrides @code{body-end}.
17935 If present, this should match the beginning of the file. All text
17936 before this regexp will be totally ignored.
17939 If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
17940 regexp will be totally ignored.
17944 So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
17945 file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
17946 few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
17947 news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
17948 something that's palatable for Gnus:
17951 @item prepare-body-function
17952 If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
17953 will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
17954 document has encoded some parts of its contents.
17956 @item article-transform-function
17957 If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
17958 meant to be used for more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
17959 body of the article.
17961 @item generate-head-function
17962 If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
17963 understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
17964 expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
17965 called when requesting the headers of all articles.
17967 @item generate-article-function
17968 If present, this function is called to generate an entire article that
17969 Gnus can understand. It is called with the article number as a
17970 parameter when requesting all articles.
17972 @item dissection-function
17973 If present, this function is called to dissect a document by itself,
17974 overriding @code{first-article}, @code{article-begin},
17975 @code{article-begin-function}, @code{head-begin},
17976 @code{head-begin-function}, @code{head-end}, @code{body-begin},
17977 @code{body-begin-function}, @code{body-end}, @code{body-end-function},
17978 @code{file-begin}, and @code{file-end}.
17982 Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
17987 (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
17988 (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
17989 (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
17990 (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
17991 (head-end . "^ ?$")
17992 (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
17993 (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
17994 (subtype digest guess))
17997 We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
17998 text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
17999 each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
18000 the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
18001 run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
18003 To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
18004 @code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first
18005 is the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says
18006 where in the document type definition alist to put this definition.
18007 The alist is traversed sequentially, and
18008 @code{nndoc-@var{type}-type-p} is called for a given type @var{type}.
18009 So @code{nndoc-mmdf-type-p} is called to see whether a document is of
18010 @code{mmdf} type, and so on. These type predicates should return
18011 @code{nil} if the document is not of the correct type; @code{t} if it
18012 is of the correct type; and a number if the document might be of the
18013 correct type. A high number means high probability; a low number
18014 means low probability with @samp{0} being the lowest valid number.
18022 In the PC world people often talk about ``offline'' newsreaders. These
18023 are thingies that are combined reader/news transport monstrosities.
18024 With built-in modem programs. Yecchh!
18026 Of course, us Unix Weenie types of human beans use things like
18027 @code{uucp} and, like, @code{nntpd} and set up proper news and mail
18028 transport things like Ghod intended. And then we just use normal
18031 However, it can sometimes be convenient to do something that's a bit
18032 easier on the brain if you have a very slow modem, and you're not really
18033 that interested in doing things properly.
18035 A file format called @sc{soup} has been developed for transporting news
18036 and mail from servers to home machines and back again. It can be a bit
18039 First some terminology:
18044 This is the machine that is connected to the outside world and where you
18045 get news and/or mail from.
18048 This is the machine that you want to do the actual reading and responding
18049 on. It is typically not connected to the rest of the world in any way.
18052 Something that contains messages and/or commands. There are two kinds
18056 @item message packets
18057 These are packets made at the server, and typically contain lots of
18058 messages for you to read. These are called @file{SoupoutX.tgz} by
18059 default, where @var{x} is a number.
18061 @item response packets
18062 These are packets made at the home machine, and typically contains
18063 replies that you've written. These are called @file{SoupinX.tgz} by
18064 default, where @var{x} is a number.
18074 You log in on the server and create a @sc{soup} packet. You can either
18075 use a dedicated @sc{soup} thingie (like the @code{awk} program), or you
18076 can use Gnus to create the packet with its @sc{soup} commands (@kbd{O
18077 s} and/or @kbd{G s b}; and then @kbd{G s p}) (@pxref{SOUP Commands}).
18080 You transfer the packet home. Rail, boat, car or modem will do fine.
18083 You put the packet in your home directory.
18086 You fire up Gnus on your home machine using the @code{nnsoup} back end as
18087 the native or secondary server.
18090 You read articles and mail and answer and followup to the things you
18091 want (@pxref{SOUP Replies}).
18094 You do the @kbd{G s r} command to pack these replies into a @sc{soup}
18098 You transfer this packet to the server.
18101 You use Gnus to mail this packet out with the @kbd{G s s} command.
18104 You then repeat until you die.
18108 So you basically have a bipartite system---you use @code{nnsoup} for
18109 reading and Gnus for packing/sending these @sc{soup} packets.
18112 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
18113 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
18114 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
18118 @node SOUP Commands
18119 @subsubsection SOUP Commands
18121 These are commands for creating and manipulating @sc{soup} packets.
18125 @kindex G s b (Group)
18126 @findex gnus-group-brew-soup
18127 Pack all unread articles in the current group
18128 (@code{gnus-group-brew-soup}). This command understands the
18129 process/prefix convention.
18132 @kindex G s w (Group)
18133 @findex gnus-soup-save-areas
18134 Save all @sc{soup} data files (@code{gnus-soup-save-areas}).
18137 @kindex G s s (Group)
18138 @findex gnus-soup-send-replies
18139 Send all replies from the replies packet
18140 (@code{gnus-soup-send-replies}).
18143 @kindex G s p (Group)
18144 @findex gnus-soup-pack-packet
18145 Pack all files into a @sc{soup} packet (@code{gnus-soup-pack-packet}).
18148 @kindex G s r (Group)
18149 @findex nnsoup-pack-replies
18150 Pack all replies into a replies packet (@code{nnsoup-pack-replies}).
18153 @kindex O s (Summary)
18154 @findex gnus-soup-add-article
18155 This summary-mode command adds the current article to a @sc{soup} packet
18156 (@code{gnus-soup-add-article}). It understands the process/prefix
18157 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
18162 There are a few variables to customize where Gnus will put all these
18167 @item gnus-soup-directory
18168 @vindex gnus-soup-directory
18169 Directory where Gnus will save intermediate files while composing
18170 @sc{soup} packets. The default is @file{~/SoupBrew/}.
18172 @item gnus-soup-replies-directory
18173 @vindex gnus-soup-replies-directory
18174 This is what Gnus will use as a temporary directory while sending our
18175 reply packets. @file{~/SoupBrew/SoupReplies/} is the default.
18177 @item gnus-soup-prefix-file
18178 @vindex gnus-soup-prefix-file
18179 Name of the file where Gnus stores the last used prefix. The default is
18180 @samp{gnus-prefix}.
18182 @item gnus-soup-packer
18183 @vindex gnus-soup-packer
18184 A format string command for packing a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
18185 @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupout%d.tgz}.
18187 @item gnus-soup-unpacker
18188 @vindex gnus-soup-unpacker
18189 Format string command for unpacking a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
18190 @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
18192 @item gnus-soup-packet-directory
18193 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-directory
18194 Where Gnus will look for reply packets. The default is @file{~/}.
18196 @item gnus-soup-packet-regexp
18197 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-regexp
18198 Regular expression matching @sc{soup} reply packets in
18199 @code{gnus-soup-packet-directory}.
18205 @subsubsection SOUP Groups
18208 @code{nnsoup} is the back end for reading @sc{soup} packets. It will
18209 read incoming packets, unpack them, and put them in a directory where
18210 you can read them at leisure.
18212 These are the variables you can use to customize its behavior:
18216 @item nnsoup-tmp-directory
18217 @vindex nnsoup-tmp-directory
18218 When @code{nnsoup} unpacks a @sc{soup} packet, it does it in this
18219 directory. (@file{/tmp/} by default.)
18221 @item nnsoup-directory
18222 @vindex nnsoup-directory
18223 @code{nnsoup} then moves each message and index file to this directory.
18224 The default is @file{~/SOUP/}.
18226 @item nnsoup-replies-directory
18227 @vindex nnsoup-replies-directory
18228 All replies will be stored in this directory before being packed into a
18229 reply packet. The default is @file{~/SOUP/replies/}.
18231 @item nnsoup-replies-format-type
18232 @vindex nnsoup-replies-format-type
18233 The @sc{soup} format of the replies packets. The default is @samp{?n}
18234 (rnews), and I don't think you should touch that variable. I probably
18235 shouldn't even have documented it. Drats! Too late!
18237 @item nnsoup-replies-index-type
18238 @vindex nnsoup-replies-index-type
18239 The index type of the replies packet. The default is @samp{?n}, which
18240 means ``none''. Don't fiddle with this one either!
18242 @item nnsoup-active-file
18243 @vindex nnsoup-active-file
18244 Where @code{nnsoup} stores lots of information. This is not an ``active
18245 file'' in the @code{nntp} sense; it's an Emacs Lisp file. If you lose
18246 this file or mess it up in any way, you're dead. The default is
18247 @file{~/SOUP/active}.
18249 @item nnsoup-packer
18250 @vindex nnsoup-packer
18251 Format string command for packing a reply @sc{soup} packet. The default
18252 is @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupin%d.tgz}.
18254 @item nnsoup-unpacker
18255 @vindex nnsoup-unpacker
18256 Format string command for unpacking incoming @sc{soup} packets. The
18257 default is @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
18259 @item nnsoup-packet-directory
18260 @vindex nnsoup-packet-directory
18261 Where @code{nnsoup} will look for incoming packets. The default is
18264 @item nnsoup-packet-regexp
18265 @vindex nnsoup-packet-regexp
18266 Regular expression matching incoming @sc{soup} packets. The default is
18269 @item nnsoup-always-save
18270 @vindex nnsoup-always-save
18271 If non-@code{nil}, save the replies buffer after each posted message.
18277 @subsubsection SOUP Replies
18279 Just using @code{nnsoup} won't mean that your postings and mailings end
18280 up in @sc{soup} reply packets automagically. You have to work a bit
18281 more for that to happen.
18283 @findex nnsoup-set-variables
18284 The @code{nnsoup-set-variables} command will set the appropriate
18285 variables to ensure that all your followups and replies end up in the
18288 In specific, this is what it does:
18291 (setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
18292 (setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
18295 And that's it, really. If you only want news to go into the @sc{soup}
18296 system you just use the first line. If you only want mail to be
18297 @sc{soup}ed you use the second.
18300 @node Mail-To-News Gateways
18301 @subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
18302 @cindex mail-to-news gateways
18305 If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
18306 or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
18307 The @code{nngateway} back end provides the interface.
18309 Note that you can't read anything from this back end---it can only be
18315 @item nngateway-address
18316 @vindex nngateway-address
18317 This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
18319 @item nngateway-header-transformation
18320 @vindex nngateway-header-transformation
18321 News headers often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
18322 for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
18323 transformation should be called, and defaults to
18324 @code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
18325 narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
18328 This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
18329 @code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address.
18330 For instance, an article with this @code{Newsgroups} header:
18333 Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
18336 will get this @code{To} header inserted:
18339 To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
18342 The following pre-defined functions exist:
18344 @findex nngateway-simple-header-transformation
18347 @item nngateway-simple-header-transformation
18348 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
18349 @var{newsgroup}@@@code{nngateway-address}.
18351 @findex nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
18353 @item nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
18354 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
18355 @code{nngateway-address}.
18363 (setq gnus-post-method
18365 "mail2news@@replay.com"
18366 (nngateway-header-transformation
18367 nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation)))
18370 So, to use this, simply say something like:
18373 (setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
18378 @node Combined Groups
18379 @section Combined Groups
18381 Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
18385 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
18386 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
18390 @node Virtual Groups
18391 @subsection Virtual Groups
18393 @cindex virtual groups
18394 @cindex merging groups
18396 An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
18399 For instance, if you are tired of reading many small groups, you can
18400 put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
18401 big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
18403 You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
18404 regexp to match component groups.
18406 All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
18407 component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
18408 article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it
18409 came. (And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be
18410 shown in the virtual group.). To create an empty virtual group, run
18411 @kbd{G V} (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}) in the group buffer
18412 and edit the method regexp with @kbd{M-e}
18413 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method})
18415 Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
18416 newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
18419 (nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
18422 The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
18423 smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
18425 Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
18426 idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
18427 If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
18428 and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
18431 "^nntp\\+server\\.jp:soc\\.motss$\\|^nntp\\+server\\.no:soc\\.motss$"
18434 (Remember, though, that if you're creating the group with @kbd{G m}, you
18435 shouldn't double the backslashes, and you should leave off the quote
18436 characters at the beginning and the end of the string.)
18438 This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
18439 end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
18440 the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
18441 sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
18442 (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
18444 One limitation, however---all groups included in a virtual
18445 group have to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
18446 zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
18448 @vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
18449 If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} variable is non-@code{nil} (which
18450 is the default), @code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread
18451 articles when entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil}
18452 and you read articles in a component group after the virtual group has
18453 been activated, the read articles from the component group will show up
18454 when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this effect if you
18455 have two virtual groups that have a component group in common. If
18456 that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}. Or you can
18457 just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before you enter
18458 it---it'll have much the same effect.
18460 @code{nnvirtual} can have both mail and news groups as component groups.
18461 When responding to articles in @code{nnvirtual} groups, @code{nnvirtual}
18462 has to ask the back end of the component group the article comes from
18463 whether it is a news or mail back end. However, when you do a @kbd{^},
18464 there is typically no sure way for the component back end to know this,
18465 and in that case @code{nnvirtual} tells Gnus that the article came from a
18466 not-news back end. (Just to be on the safe side.)
18468 @kbd{C-c C-n} in the message buffer will insert the @code{Newsgroups}
18469 line from the article you respond to in these cases.
18471 @code{nnvirtual} groups do not inherit anything but articles and marks
18472 from component groups---group parameters, for instance, are not
18476 @node Kibozed Groups
18477 @subsection Kibozed Groups
18481 @dfn{Kibozing} is defined by the @acronym{OED} as ``grepping through
18482 (parts of) the news feed''. @code{nnkiboze} is a back end that will
18483 do this for you. Oh joy! Now you can grind any @acronym{NNTP} server
18484 down to a halt with useless requests! Oh happiness!
18486 @kindex G k (Group)
18487 To create a kibozed group, use the @kbd{G k} command in the group
18490 The address field of the @code{nnkiboze} method is, as with
18491 @code{nnvirtual}, a regexp to match groups to be ``included'' in the
18492 @code{nnkiboze} group. That's where most similarities between
18493 @code{nnkiboze} and @code{nnvirtual} end.
18495 In addition to this regexp detailing component groups, an
18496 @code{nnkiboze} group must have a score file to say what articles are
18497 to be included in the group (@pxref{Scoring}).
18499 @kindex M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups
18500 @findex nnkiboze-generate-groups
18501 You must run @kbd{M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups} after creating the
18502 @code{nnkiboze} groups you want to have. This command will take time.
18503 Lots of time. Oodles and oodles of time. Gnus has to fetch the
18504 headers from all the articles in all the component groups and run them
18505 through the scoring process to determine if there are any articles in
18506 the groups that are to be part of the @code{nnkiboze} groups.
18508 Please limit the number of component groups by using restrictive
18509 regexps. Otherwise your sysadmin may become annoyed with you, and the
18510 @acronym{NNTP} site may throw you off and never let you back in again.
18511 Stranger things have happened.
18513 @code{nnkiboze} component groups do not have to be alive---they can be dead,
18514 and they can be foreign. No restrictions.
18516 @vindex nnkiboze-directory
18517 The generation of an @code{nnkiboze} group means writing two files in
18518 @code{nnkiboze-directory}, which is @file{~/News/kiboze/} by default.
18519 One contains the @acronym{NOV} header lines for all the articles in
18520 the group, and the other is an additional @file{.newsrc} file to store
18521 information on what groups have been searched through to find
18522 component articles.
18524 Articles marked as read in the @code{nnkiboze} group will have
18525 their @acronym{NOV} lines removed from the @acronym{NOV} file.
18528 @node Email Based Diary
18529 @section Email Based Diary
18531 @cindex email based diary
18534 This section describes a special mail back end called @code{nndiary},
18535 and its companion library @code{gnus-diary}. It is ``special'' in the
18536 sense that it is not meant to be one of the standard alternatives for
18537 reading mail with Gnus. See @ref{Choosing a Mail Back End} for that.
18538 Instead, it is used to treat @emph{some} of your mails in a special way,
18539 namely, as event reminders.
18541 Here is a typical scenario:
18545 You've got a date with Andy Mc Dowell or Bruce Willis (select according
18546 to your sexual preference) in one month. You don't want to forget it.
18548 So you send a ``reminder'' message (actually, a diary one) to yourself.
18550 You forget all about it and keep on getting and reading new mail, as usual.
18552 From time to time, as you type `g' in the group buffer and as the date
18553 is getting closer, the message will pop up again to remind you of your
18554 appointment, just as if it were new and unread.
18556 Read your ``new'' messages, this one included, and start dreaming again
18557 of the night you're gonna have.
18559 Once the date is over (you actually fell asleep just after dinner), the
18560 message will be automatically deleted if it is marked as expirable.
18563 The Gnus Diary back end has the ability to handle regular appointments
18564 (that wouldn't ever be deleted) as well as punctual ones, operates as a
18565 real mail back end and is configurable in many ways. All of this is
18566 explained in the sections below.
18569 * The NNDiary Back End:: Basic setup and usage.
18570 * The Gnus Diary Library:: Utility toolkit on top of nndiary.
18571 * Sending or Not Sending:: A final note on sending diary messages.
18575 @node The NNDiary Back End
18576 @subsection The NNDiary Back End
18578 @cindex the nndiary back end
18580 @code{nndiary} is a back end very similar to @code{nnml} (@pxref{Mail
18581 Spool}). Actually, it could appear as a mix of @code{nnml} and
18582 @code{nndraft}. If you know @code{nnml}, you're already familiar with
18583 the message storing scheme of @code{nndiary}: one file per message, one
18584 directory per group.
18586 Before anything, there is one requirement to be able to run
18587 @code{nndiary} properly: you @emph{must} use the group timestamp feature
18588 of Gnus. This adds a timestamp to each group's parameters. @ref{Group
18589 Timestamp} to see how it's done.
18592 * Diary Messages:: What makes a message valid for nndiary.
18593 * Running NNDiary:: NNDiary has two modes of operation.
18594 * Customizing NNDiary:: Bells and whistles.
18597 @node Diary Messages
18598 @subsubsection Diary Messages
18599 @cindex nndiary messages
18600 @cindex nndiary mails
18602 @code{nndiary} messages are just normal ones, except for the mandatory
18603 presence of 7 special headers. These headers are of the form
18604 @code{X-Diary-<something>}, @code{<something>} being one of
18605 @code{Minute}, @code{Hour}, @code{Dom}, @code{Month}, @code{Year},
18606 @code{Time-Zone} and @code{Dow}. @code{Dom} means ``Day of Month'', and
18607 @code{dow} means ``Day of Week''. These headers actually behave like
18608 crontab specifications and define the event date(s):
18612 For all headers except the @code{Time-Zone} one, a header value is
18613 either a star (meaning all possible values), or a list of fields
18614 (separated by a comma).
18616 A field is either an integer, or a range.
18618 A range is two integers separated by a dash.
18620 Possible integer values are 0--59 for @code{Minute}, 0--23 for
18621 @code{Hour}, 1--31 for @code{Dom}, 1--12 for @code{Month}, above 1971
18622 for @code{Year} and 0--6 for @code{Dow} (0 meaning Sunday).
18624 As a special case, a star in either @code{Dom} or @code{Dow} doesn't
18625 mean ``all possible values'', but ``use only the other field''. Note
18626 that if both are star'ed, the use of either one gives the same result.
18628 The @code{Time-Zone} header is special in that it can only have one
18629 value (@code{GMT}, for instance). A star doesn't mean ``all possible
18630 values'' (because it makes no sense), but ``the current local time
18631 zone''. Most of the time, you'll be using a star here. However, for a
18632 list of available time zone values, see the variable
18633 @code{nndiary-headers}.
18636 As a concrete example, here are the diary headers to add to your message
18637 for specifying ``Each Monday and each 1st of month, at 12:00, 20:00,
18638 21:00, 22:00, 23:00 and 24:00, from 1999 to 2010'' (I'll let you find
18643 X-Diary-Hour: 12, 20-24
18646 X-Diary-Year: 1999-2010
18648 X-Diary-Time-Zone: *
18651 @node Running NNDiary
18652 @subsubsection Running NNDiary
18653 @cindex running nndiary
18654 @cindex nndiary operation modes
18656 @code{nndiary} has two modes of operation: ``traditional'' (the default)
18657 and ``autonomous''. In traditional mode, @code{nndiary} does not get new
18658 mail by itself. You have to move (@kbd{B m}) or copy (@kbd{B c}) mails
18659 from your primary mail back end to nndiary groups in order to handle them
18660 as diary messages. In autonomous mode, @code{nndiary} retrieves its own
18661 mail and handles it independently from your primary mail back end.
18663 One should note that Gnus is not inherently designed to allow several
18664 ``master'' mail back ends at the same time. However, this does make
18665 sense with @code{nndiary}: you really want to send and receive diary
18666 messages to your diary groups directly. So, @code{nndiary} supports
18667 being sort of a ``second primary mail back end'' (to my knowledge, it is
18668 the only back end offering this feature). However, there is a limitation
18669 (which I hope to fix some day): respooling doesn't work in autonomous
18672 In order to use @code{nndiary} in autonomous mode, you have several
18677 Allow @code{nndiary} to retrieve new mail by itself. Put the following
18678 line in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
18681 (setq nndiary-get-new-mail t)
18684 You must arrange for diary messages (those containing @code{X-Diary-*}
18685 headers) to be split in a private folder @emph{before} Gnus treat them.
18686 Again, this is needed because Gnus cannot (yet ?) properly handle
18687 multiple primary mail back ends. Getting those messages from a separate
18688 source will compensate this misfeature to some extent.
18690 As an example, here's my procmailrc entry to store diary files in
18691 @file{~/.nndiary} (the default @code{nndiary} mail source file):
18700 Once this is done, you might want to customize the following two options
18701 that affect the diary mail retrieval and splitting processes:
18703 @defvar nndiary-mail-sources
18704 This is the diary-specific replacement for the standard
18705 @code{mail-sources} variable. It obeys the same syntax, and defaults to
18706 @code{(file :path "~/.nndiary")}.
18709 @defvar nndiary-split-methods
18710 This is the diary-specific replacement for the standard
18711 @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable. It obeys the same syntax.
18714 Finally, you may add a permanent @code{nndiary} virtual server
18715 (something like @code{(nndiary "diary")} should do) to your
18716 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods}.
18718 Hopefully, almost everything (see the TODO section in
18719 @file{nndiary.el}) will work as expected when you restart Gnus: in
18720 autonomous mode, typing @kbd{g} and @kbd{M-g} in the group buffer, will
18721 also get your new diary mails and split them according to your
18722 diary-specific rules, @kbd{F} will find your new diary groups etc.
18724 @node Customizing NNDiary
18725 @subsubsection Customizing NNDiary
18726 @cindex customizing nndiary
18727 @cindex nndiary customization
18729 Now that @code{nndiary} is up and running, it's time to customize it.
18730 The custom group is called @code{nndiary} (no, really ?!). You should
18731 browse it to figure out which options you'd like to tweak. The following
18732 two variables are probably the only ones you will want to change:
18734 @defvar nndiary-reminders
18735 This is the list of times when you want to be reminded of your
18736 appointments (e.g. 3 weeks before, then 2 days before, then 1 hour
18737 before and that's it). Remember that ``being reminded'' means that the
18738 diary message will pop up as brand new and unread again when you get new
18742 @defvar nndiary-week-starts-on-monday
18743 Rather self-explanatory. Otherwise, Sunday is assumed (this is the
18748 @node The Gnus Diary Library
18749 @subsection The Gnus Diary Library
18751 @cindex the gnus diary library
18753 Using @code{nndiary} manually (I mean, writing the headers by hand and
18754 so on) would be rather boring. Fortunately, there is a library called
18755 @code{gnus-diary} written on top of @code{nndiary}, that does many
18756 useful things for you.
18758 In order to use it, add the following line to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
18761 (require 'gnus-diary)
18764 Also, you shouldn't use any @code{gnus-user-format-function-[d|D]}
18765 (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}). @code{gnus-diary} provides both of these
18766 (sorry if you used them before).
18770 * Diary Summary Line Format:: A nicer summary buffer line format.
18771 * Diary Articles Sorting:: A nicer way to sort messages.
18772 * Diary Headers Generation:: Not doing it manually.
18773 * Diary Group Parameters:: Not handling them manually.
18776 @node Diary Summary Line Format
18777 @subsubsection Diary Summary Line Format
18778 @cindex diary summary buffer line
18779 @cindex diary summary line format
18781 Displaying diary messages in standard summary line format (usually
18782 something like @samp{From Joe: Subject}) is pretty useless. Most of
18783 the time, you're the one who wrote the message, and you mostly want to
18784 see the event's date.
18786 @code{gnus-diary} provides two supplemental user formats to be used in
18787 summary line formats. @code{D} corresponds to a formatted time string
18788 for the next occurrence of the event (e.g. ``Sat, Sep 22 01, 12:00''),
18789 while @code{d} corresponds to an approximative remaining time until the
18790 next occurrence of the event (e.g. ``in 6 months, 1 week'').
18792 For example, here's how Joe's birthday is displayed in my
18793 @code{nndiary+diary:birthdays} summary buffer (note that the message is
18794 expirable, but will never be deleted, as it specifies a periodic event):
18797 E Sat, Sep 22 01, 12:00: Joe's birthday (in 6 months, 1 week)
18800 In order to get something like the above, you would normally add the
18801 following line to your diary groups'parameters:
18804 (gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z %uD: %(%s%) (%ud)\n")
18807 However, @code{gnus-diary} does it automatically (@pxref{Diary Group
18808 Parameters}). You can however customize the provided summary line format
18809 with the following user options:
18811 @defvar gnus-diary-summary-line-format
18812 Defines the summary line format used for diary groups (@pxref{Summary
18813 Buffer Lines}). @code{gnus-diary} uses it to automatically update the
18814 diary groups'parameters.
18817 @defvar gnus-diary-time-format
18818 Defines the format to display dates in diary summary buffers. This is
18819 used by the @code{D} user format. See the docstring for details.
18822 @defvar gnus-diary-delay-format-function
18823 Defines the format function to use for displaying delays (remaining
18824 times) in diary summary buffers. This is used by the @code{d} user
18825 format. There are currently built-in functions for English and French;
18826 you can also define your own. See the docstring for details.
18829 @node Diary Articles Sorting
18830 @subsubsection Diary Articles Sorting
18831 @cindex diary articles sorting
18832 @cindex diary summary lines sorting
18833 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-schedule
18834 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-schedule
18835 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-schedule
18837 @code{gnus-diary} provides new sorting functions (@pxref{Sorting the
18838 Summary Buffer} ) called @code{gnus-summary-sort-by-schedule},
18839 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-schedule} and
18840 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-schedule}. These functions let you organize
18841 your diary summary buffers from the closest event to the farthest one.
18843 @code{gnus-diary} automatically installs
18844 @code{gnus-summary-sort-by-schedule} as a menu item in the summary
18845 buffer's ``sort'' menu, and the two others as the primary (hence
18846 default) sorting functions in the group parameters (@pxref{Diary Group
18849 @node Diary Headers Generation
18850 @subsubsection Diary Headers Generation
18851 @cindex diary headers generation
18852 @findex gnus-diary-check-message
18854 @code{gnus-diary} provides a function called
18855 @code{gnus-diary-check-message} to help you handle the @code{X-Diary-*}
18856 headers. This function ensures that the current message contains all the
18857 required diary headers, and prompts you for values or corrections if
18860 This function is hooked into the @code{nndiary} back end, so that
18861 moving or copying an article to a diary group will trigger it
18862 automatically. It is also bound to @kbd{C-c D c} in @code{message-mode}
18863 and @code{article-edit-mode} in order to ease the process of converting
18864 a usual mail to a diary one.
18866 This function takes a prefix argument which will force prompting of
18867 all diary headers, regardless of their presence or validity. That way,
18868 you can very easily reschedule an already valid diary message, for
18871 @node Diary Group Parameters
18872 @subsubsection Diary Group Parameters
18873 @cindex diary group parameters
18875 When you create a new diary group, or visit one, @code{gnus-diary}
18876 automatically checks your group parameters and if needed, sets the
18877 summary line format to the diary-specific value, installs the
18878 diary-specific sorting functions, and also adds the different
18879 @code{X-Diary-*} headers to the group's posting-style. It is then easier
18880 to send a diary message, because if you use @kbd{C-u a} or @kbd{C-u m}
18881 on a diary group to prepare a message, these headers will be inserted
18882 automatically (although not filled with proper values yet).
18884 @node Sending or Not Sending
18885 @subsection Sending or Not Sending
18887 Well, assuming you've read all of the above, here are two final notes on
18888 mail sending with @code{nndiary}:
18892 @code{nndiary} is a @emph{real} mail back end. You really send real diary
18893 messsages for real. This means for instance that you can give
18894 appointments to anybody (provided they use Gnus and @code{nndiary}) by
18895 sending the diary message to them as well.
18897 However, since @code{nndiary} also has a @code{request-post} method, you
18898 can also use @kbd{C-u a} instead of @kbd{C-u m} on a diary group and the
18899 message won't actually be sent; just stored locally in the group. This
18900 comes in very handy for private appointments.
18903 @node Gnus Unplugged
18904 @section Gnus Unplugged
18909 @cindex Gnus unplugged
18911 In olden times (ca. February '88), people used to run their newsreaders
18912 on big machines with permanent connections to the net. News transport
18913 was dealt with by news servers, and all the newsreaders had to do was to
18914 read news. Believe it or not.
18916 Nowadays most people read news and mail at home, and use some sort of
18917 modem to connect to the net. To avoid running up huge phone bills, it
18918 would be nice to have a way to slurp down all the news and mail, hang up
18919 the phone, read for several hours, and then upload any responses you
18920 have to make. And then you repeat the procedure.
18922 Of course, you can use news servers for doing this as well. I've used
18923 @code{inn} together with @code{slurp}, @code{pop} and @code{sendmail}
18924 for some years, but doing that's a bore. Moving the news server
18925 functionality up to the newsreader makes sense if you're the only person
18926 reading news on a machine.
18928 Setting up Gnus as an ``offline'' newsreader is quite simple. In
18929 fact, you don't have to configure anything as the agent is now enabled
18930 by default (@pxref{Agent Variables, gnus-agent}).
18932 Of course, to use it as such, you have to learn a few new commands.
18935 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
18936 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
18937 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
18938 * Agent Visuals:: Ways that the agent may effect your summary buffer.
18939 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
18940 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
18941 * Agent Regeneration:: How to recover from lost connections and other accidents.
18942 * Agent and flags:: How the Agent maintains flags.
18943 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with @acronym{IMAP}.
18944 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
18945 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
18946 * Example Setup:: An example @file{~/.gnus.el} file for offline people.
18947 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
18948 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
18953 @subsection Agent Basics
18955 First, let's get some terminology out of the way.
18957 The Gnus Agent is said to be @dfn{unplugged} when you have severed the
18958 connection to the net (and notified the Agent that this is the case).
18959 When the connection to the net is up again (and Gnus knows this), the
18960 Agent is @dfn{plugged}.
18962 The @dfn{local} machine is the one you're running on, and which isn't
18963 connected to the net continuously.
18965 @dfn{Downloading} means fetching things from the net to your local
18966 machine. @dfn{Uploading} is doing the opposite.
18968 You know that Gnus gives you all the opportunity you'd ever want for
18969 shooting yourself in the foot. Some people call it flexibility. Gnus
18970 is also customizable to a great extent, which means that the user has a
18971 say on how Gnus behaves. Other newsreaders might unconditionally shoot
18972 you in your foot, but with Gnus, you have a choice!
18974 Gnus is never really in plugged or unplugged state. Rather, it applies
18975 that state to each server individually. This means that some servers
18976 can be plugged while others can be unplugged. Additionally, some
18977 servers can be ignored by the Agent altogether (which means that
18978 they're kinda like plugged always).
18980 So when you unplug the Agent and then wonder why is Gnus opening a
18981 connection to the Net, the next step to do is to look whether all
18982 servers are agentized. If there is an unagentized server, you found
18985 Another thing is the @dfn{offline} state. Sometimes, servers aren't
18986 reachable. When Gnus notices this, it asks you whether you want the
18987 server to be switched to offline state. If you say yes, then the
18988 server will behave somewhat as if it was unplugged, except that Gnus
18989 will ask you whether you want to switch it back online again.
18991 Let's take a typical Gnus session using the Agent.
18996 @findex gnus-unplugged
18997 You start Gnus with @code{gnus-unplugged}. This brings up the Gnus
18998 Agent in a disconnected state. You can read all the news that you have
18999 already fetched while in this mode.
19002 You then decide to see whether any new news has arrived. You connect
19003 your machine to the net (using PPP or whatever), and then hit @kbd{J j}
19004 to make Gnus become @dfn{plugged} and use @kbd{g} to check for new mail
19005 as usual. To check for new mail in unplugged mode (@pxref{Mail
19006 Source Specifiers}).
19009 You can then read the new news immediately, or you can download the
19010 news onto your local machine. If you want to do the latter, you press
19011 @kbd{g} to check if there are any new news and then @kbd{J s} to fetch
19012 all the eligible articles in all the groups. (To let Gnus know which
19013 articles you want to download, @pxref{Agent Categories}).
19016 After fetching the articles, you press @kbd{J j} to make Gnus become
19017 unplugged again, and you shut down the PPP thing (or whatever). And
19018 then you read the news offline.
19021 And then you go to step 2.
19024 Here are some things you should do the first time (or so) that you use
19030 Decide which servers should be covered by the Agent. If you have a mail
19031 back end, it would probably be nonsensical to have it covered by the
19032 Agent. Go to the server buffer (@kbd{^} in the group buffer) and press
19033 @kbd{J a} on the server (or servers) that you wish to have covered by the
19034 Agent (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}), or @kbd{J r} on automatically
19035 added servers you do not wish to have covered by the Agent. By default,
19036 all @code{nntp} and @code{nnimap} servers in @code{gnus-select-method} and
19037 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} are agentized.
19040 Decide on download policy. It's fairly simple once you decide whether
19041 you are going to use agent categories, topic parameters, and/or group
19042 parameters to implement your policy. If you're new to gnus, it
19043 is probably best to start with a category, @xref{Agent Categories}.
19045 Both topic parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}) and agent categories
19046 (@pxref{Agent Categories}) provide for setting a policy that applies
19047 to multiple groups. Which you use is entirely up to you. Topic
19048 parameters do override categories so, if you mix the two, you'll have
19049 to take that into account. If you have a few groups that deviate from
19050 your policy, you can use group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to
19054 Uhm@dots{} that's it.
19058 @node Agent Categories
19059 @subsection Agent Categories
19061 One of the main reasons to integrate the news transport layer into the
19062 newsreader is to allow greater control over what articles to download.
19063 There's not much point in downloading huge amounts of articles, just to
19064 find out that you're not interested in reading any of them. It's better
19065 to be somewhat more conservative in choosing what to download, and then
19066 mark the articles for downloading manually if it should turn out that
19067 you're interested in the articles anyway.
19069 One of the more effective methods for controlling what is to be
19070 downloaded is to create a @dfn{category} and then assign some (or all)
19071 groups to this category. Groups that do not belong in any other
19072 category belong to the @code{default} category. Gnus has its own
19073 buffer for creating and managing categories.
19075 If you prefer, you can also use group parameters (@pxref{Group
19076 Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}) for an
19077 alternative approach to controlling the agent. The only real
19078 difference is that categories are specific to the agent (so there is
19079 less to learn) while group and topic parameters include the kitchen
19082 Since you can set agent parameters in several different places we have
19083 a rule to decide which source to believe. This rule specifies that
19084 the parameter sources are checked in the following order: group
19085 parameters, topic parameters, agent category, and finally customizable
19086 variables. So you can mix all of these sources to produce a wide range
19087 of behavior, just don't blame me if you don't remember where you put
19091 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
19092 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
19093 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
19097 @node Category Syntax
19098 @subsubsection Category Syntax
19100 A category consists of a name, the list of groups belonging to the
19101 category, and a number of optional parameters that override the
19102 customizable variables. The complete list of agent parameters are
19105 @cindex Agent Parameters
19108 The list of groups that are in this category.
19110 @item agent-predicate
19111 A predicate which (generally) gives a rough outline of which articles
19112 are eligible for downloading; and
19115 a score rule which (generally) gives you a finer granularity when
19116 deciding what articles to download. (Note that this @dfn{download
19117 score} is not necessarily related to normal scores.)
19119 @item agent-enable-expiration
19120 a boolean indicating whether the agent should expire old articles in
19121 this group. Most groups should be expired to conserve disk space. In
19122 fact, its probably safe to say that the gnus.* hierarchy contains the
19123 only groups that should not be expired.
19125 @item agent-days-until-old
19126 an integer indicating the number of days that the agent should wait
19127 before deciding that a read article is safe to expire.
19129 @item agent-low-score
19130 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-low-score}.
19132 @item agent-high-score
19133 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-high-score}.
19135 @item agent-short-article
19136 an integer that overrides the value of
19137 @code{gnus-agent-short-article}.
19139 @item agent-long-article
19140 an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-long-article}.
19142 @item agent-enable-undownloaded-faces
19143 a symbol indicating whether the summary buffer should display
19144 undownloaded articles using the @code{gnus-summary-*-undownloaded-face}
19145 faces. Any symbol other than @code{nil} will enable the use of
19146 undownloaded faces.
19149 The name of a category can not be changed once the category has been
19152 Each category maintains a list of groups that are exclusive members of
19153 that category. The exclusivity rule is automatically enforced, add a
19154 group to a new category and it is automatically removed from its old
19157 A predicate in its simplest form can be a single predicate such as
19158 @code{true} or @code{false}. These two will download every available
19159 article or nothing respectively. In the case of these two special
19160 predicates an additional score rule is superfluous.
19162 Predicates of @code{high} or @code{low} download articles in respect of
19163 their scores in relationship to @code{gnus-agent-high-score} and
19164 @code{gnus-agent-low-score} as described below.
19166 To gain even finer control of what is to be regarded eligible for
19167 download a predicate can consist of a number of predicates with logical
19168 operators sprinkled in between.
19170 Perhaps some examples are in order.
19172 Here's a simple predicate. (It's the default predicate, in fact, used
19173 for all groups that don't belong to any other category.)
19179 Quite simple, eh? This predicate is true if and only if the article is
19180 short (for some value of ``short'').
19182 Here's a more complex predicate:
19191 This means that an article should be downloaded if it has a high score,
19192 or if the score is not low and the article is not long. You get the
19195 The available logical operators are @code{or}, @code{and} and
19196 @code{not}. (If you prefer, you can use the more ``C''-ish operators
19197 @samp{|}, @code{&} and @code{!} instead.)
19199 The following predicates are pre-defined, but if none of these fit what
19200 you want to do, you can write your own.
19202 When evaluating each of these predicates, the named constant will be
19203 bound to the value determined by calling
19204 @code{gnus-agent-find-parameter} on the appropriate parameter. For
19205 example, gnus-agent-short-article will be bound to
19206 @code{(gnus-agent-find-parameter group 'agent-short-article)}. This
19207 means that you can specify a predicate in your category then tune that
19208 predicate to individual groups.
19212 True if the article is shorter than @code{gnus-agent-short-article}
19213 lines; default 100.
19216 True if the article is longer than @code{gnus-agent-long-article}
19217 lines; default 200.
19220 True if the article has a download score less than
19221 @code{gnus-agent-low-score}; default 0.
19224 True if the article has a download score greater than
19225 @code{gnus-agent-high-score}; default 0.
19228 True if the Gnus Agent guesses that the article is spam. The
19229 heuristics may change over time, but at present it just computes a
19230 checksum and sees whether articles match.
19239 If you want to create your own predicate function, here's what you have
19240 to know: The functions are called with no parameters, but the
19241 @code{gnus-headers} and @code{gnus-score} dynamic variables are bound to
19244 For example, you could decide that you don't want to download articles
19245 that were posted more than a certain number of days ago (e.g. posted
19246 more than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} ago) you might write a function
19247 something along the lines of the following:
19250 (defun my-article-old-p ()
19251 "Say whether an article is old."
19252 (< (time-to-days (date-to-time (mail-header-date gnus-headers)))
19253 (- (time-to-days (current-time)) gnus-agent-expire-days)))
19256 with the predicate then defined as:
19259 (not my-article-old-p)
19262 or you could append your predicate to the predefined
19263 @code{gnus-category-predicate-alist} in your @file{~/.gnus.el} or
19267 (require 'gnus-agent)
19268 (setq gnus-category-predicate-alist
19269 (append gnus-category-predicate-alist
19270 '((old . my-article-old-p))))
19273 and simply specify your predicate as:
19279 If/when using something like the above, be aware that there are many
19280 misconfigured systems/mailers out there and so an article's date is not
19281 always a reliable indication of when it was posted. Hell, some people
19282 just don't give a damn.
19284 The above predicates apply to @emph{all} the groups which belong to the
19285 category. However, if you wish to have a specific predicate for an
19286 individual group within a category, or you're just too lazy to set up a
19287 new category, you can enter a group's individual predicate in its group
19288 parameters like so:
19291 (agent-predicate . short)
19294 This is the group/topic parameter equivalent of the agent category default.
19295 Note that when specifying a single word predicate like this, the
19296 @code{agent-predicate} specification must be in dotted pair notation.
19298 The equivalent of the longer example from above would be:
19301 (agent-predicate or high (and (not low) (not long)))
19304 The outer parenthesis required in the category specification are not
19305 entered here as, not being in dotted pair notation, the value of the
19306 predicate is assumed to be a list.
19309 Now, the syntax of the download score is the same as the syntax of
19310 normal score files, except that all elements that require actually
19311 seeing the article itself are verboten. This means that only the
19312 following headers can be scored on: @code{Subject}, @code{From},
19313 @code{Date}, @code{Message-ID}, @code{References}, @code{Chars},
19314 @code{Lines}, and @code{Xref}.
19316 As with predicates, the specification of the @code{download score rule}
19317 to use in respect of a group can be in either the category definition if
19318 it's to be applicable to all groups in therein, or a group's parameters
19319 if it's to be specific to that group.
19321 In both of these places the @code{download score rule} can take one of
19328 This has the same syntax as a normal Gnus score file except only a
19329 subset of scoring keywords are available as mentioned above.
19335 Category specification
19339 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
19345 Group/Topic Parameter specification
19348 (agent-score ("from"
19349 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
19354 Again, note the omission of the outermost parenthesis here.
19360 These score files must @emph{only} contain the permitted scoring
19361 keywords stated above.
19367 Category specification
19370 ("~/News/agent.SCORE")
19376 ("~/News/agent.SCORE" "~/News/agent.group.SCORE")
19380 Group Parameter specification
19383 (agent-score "~/News/agent.SCORE")
19386 Additional score files can be specified as above. Need I say anything
19391 Use @code{normal} score files
19393 If you don't want to maintain two sets of scoring rules for a group, and
19394 your desired @code{downloading} criteria for a group are the same as your
19395 @code{reading} criteria then you can tell the agent to refer to your
19396 @code{normal} score files when deciding what to download.
19398 These directives in either the category definition or a group's
19399 parameters will cause the agent to read in all the applicable score
19400 files for a group, @emph{filtering out} those sections that do not
19401 relate to one of the permitted subset of scoring keywords.
19405 Category Specification
19412 Group Parameter specification
19415 (agent-score . file)
19420 @node Category Buffer
19421 @subsubsection Category Buffer
19423 You'd normally do all category maintenance from the category buffer.
19424 When you enter it for the first time (with the @kbd{J c} command from
19425 the group buffer), you'll only see the @code{default} category.
19427 The following commands are available in this buffer:
19431 @kindex q (Category)
19432 @findex gnus-category-exit
19433 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-category-exit}).
19436 @kindex e (Category)
19437 @findex gnus-category-customize-category
19438 Use a customization buffer to set all of the selected category's
19439 parameters at one time (@code{gnus-category-customize-category}).
19442 @kindex k (Category)
19443 @findex gnus-category-kill
19444 Kill the current category (@code{gnus-category-kill}).
19447 @kindex c (Category)
19448 @findex gnus-category-copy
19449 Copy the current category (@code{gnus-category-copy}).
19452 @kindex a (Category)
19453 @findex gnus-category-add
19454 Add a new category (@code{gnus-category-add}).
19457 @kindex p (Category)
19458 @findex gnus-category-edit-predicate
19459 Edit the predicate of the current category
19460 (@code{gnus-category-edit-predicate}).
19463 @kindex g (Category)
19464 @findex gnus-category-edit-groups
19465 Edit the list of groups belonging to the current category
19466 (@code{gnus-category-edit-groups}).
19469 @kindex s (Category)
19470 @findex gnus-category-edit-score
19471 Edit the download score rule of the current category
19472 (@code{gnus-category-edit-score}).
19475 @kindex l (Category)
19476 @findex gnus-category-list
19477 List all the categories (@code{gnus-category-list}).
19481 @node Category Variables
19482 @subsubsection Category Variables
19485 @item gnus-category-mode-hook
19486 @vindex gnus-category-mode-hook
19487 Hook run in category buffers.
19489 @item gnus-category-line-format
19490 @vindex gnus-category-line-format
19491 Format of the lines in the category buffer (@pxref{Formatting
19492 Variables}). Valid elements are:
19496 The name of the category.
19499 The number of groups in the category.
19502 @item gnus-category-mode-line-format
19503 @vindex gnus-category-mode-line-format
19504 Format of the category mode line (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}).
19506 @item gnus-agent-short-article
19507 @vindex gnus-agent-short-article
19508 Articles that have fewer lines than this are short. Default 100.
19510 @item gnus-agent-long-article
19511 @vindex gnus-agent-long-article
19512 Articles that have more lines than this are long. Default 200.
19514 @item gnus-agent-low-score
19515 @vindex gnus-agent-low-score
19516 Articles that have a score lower than this have a low score. Default
19519 @item gnus-agent-high-score
19520 @vindex gnus-agent-high-score
19521 Articles that have a score higher than this have a high score. Default
19524 @item gnus-agent-expire-days
19525 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
19526 The number of days that a @samp{read} article must stay in the agent's
19527 local disk before becoming eligible for expiration (While the name is
19528 the same, this doesn't mean expiring the article on the server. It
19529 just means deleting the local copy of the article). What is also
19530 important to understand is that the counter starts with the time the
19531 article was written to the local disk and not the time the article was
19535 @item gnus-agent-enable-expiration
19536 @vindex gnus-agent-enable-expiration
19537 Determines whether articles in a group are, by default, expired or
19538 retained indefinitely. The default is @code{ENABLE} which means that
19539 you'll have to disable expiration when desired. On the other hand,
19540 you could set this to @code{DISABLE}. In that case, you would then
19541 have to enable expiration in selected groups.
19546 @node Agent Commands
19547 @subsection Agent Commands
19548 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-plugged
19549 @kindex J j (Agent)
19551 All the Gnus Agent commands are on the @kbd{J} submap. The @kbd{J j}
19552 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-plugged}) command works in all modes, and
19553 toggles the plugged/unplugged state of the Gnus Agent.
19557 * Group Agent Commands:: Configure groups and fetch their contents.
19558 * Summary Agent Commands:: Manually select then fetch specific articles.
19559 * Server Agent Commands:: Select the servers that are supported by the agent.
19565 @node Group Agent Commands
19566 @subsubsection Group Agent Commands
19570 @kindex J u (Agent Group)
19571 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-groups
19572 Fetch all eligible articles in the current group
19573 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-groups}).
19576 @kindex J c (Agent Group)
19577 @findex gnus-enter-category-buffer
19578 Enter the Agent category buffer (@code{gnus-enter-category-buffer}).
19581 @kindex J s (Agent Group)
19582 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-session
19583 Fetch all eligible articles in all groups
19584 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}).
19587 @kindex J S (Agent Group)
19588 @findex gnus-group-send-queue
19589 Send all sendable messages in the queue group
19590 (@code{gnus-group-send-queue}). @xref{Drafts}.
19593 @kindex J a (Agent Group)
19594 @findex gnus-agent-add-group
19595 Add the current group to an Agent category
19596 (@code{gnus-agent-add-group}). This command understands the
19597 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
19600 @kindex J r (Agent Group)
19601 @findex gnus-agent-remove-group
19602 Remove the current group from its category, if any
19603 (@code{gnus-agent-remove-group}). This command understands the
19604 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
19607 @kindex J Y (Agent Group)
19608 @findex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
19609 Synchronize flags changed while unplugged with remote server, if any.
19615 @node Summary Agent Commands
19616 @subsubsection Summary Agent Commands
19620 @kindex J # (Agent Summary)
19621 @findex gnus-agent-mark-article
19622 Mark the article for downloading (@code{gnus-agent-mark-article}).
19625 @kindex J M-# (Agent Summary)
19626 @findex gnus-agent-unmark-article
19627 Remove the downloading mark from the article
19628 (@code{gnus-agent-unmark-article}).
19632 @kindex @@ (Agent Summary)
19633 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-mark
19634 Toggle whether to download the article
19635 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-mark}). The download mark is @samp{%} by
19639 @kindex J c (Agent Summary)
19640 @findex gnus-agent-catchup
19641 Mark all articles as read (@code{gnus-agent-catchup}) that are neither cached, downloaded, nor downloadable.
19644 @kindex J S (Agent Summary)
19645 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-group
19646 Download all eligible (@pxref{Agent Categories}) articles in this group.
19647 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-group}).
19650 @kindex J s (Agent Summary)
19651 @findex gnus-agent-summary-fetch-series
19652 Download all processable articles in this group.
19653 (@code{gnus-agent-summary-fetch-series}).
19656 @kindex J u (Agent Summary)
19657 @findex gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group
19658 Download all downloadable articles in the current group
19659 (@code{gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group}).
19664 @node Server Agent Commands
19665 @subsubsection Server Agent Commands
19669 @kindex J a (Agent Server)
19670 @findex gnus-agent-add-server
19671 Add the current server to the list of servers covered by the Gnus Agent
19672 (@code{gnus-agent-add-server}).
19675 @kindex J r (Agent Server)
19676 @findex gnus-agent-remove-server
19677 Remove the current server from the list of servers covered by the Gnus
19678 Agent (@code{gnus-agent-remove-server}).
19683 @node Agent Visuals
19684 @subsection Agent Visuals
19686 If you open a summary while unplugged and, Gnus knows from the group's
19687 active range that there are more articles than the headers currently
19688 stored in the Agent, you may see some articles whose subject looks
19689 something like @samp{[Undownloaded article #####]}. These are
19690 placeholders for the missing headers. Aside from setting a mark,
19691 there is not much that can be done with one of these placeholders.
19692 When Gnus finally gets a chance to fetch the group's headers, the
19693 placeholders will automatically be replaced by the actual headers.
19694 You can configure the summary buffer's maneuvering to skip over the
19695 placeholders if you care (See @code{gnus-auto-goto-ignores}).
19697 While it may be obvious to all, the only headers and articles
19698 available while unplugged are those headers and articles that were
19699 fetched into the Agent while previously plugged. To put it another
19700 way, ``If you forget to fetch something while plugged, you might have a
19701 less than satisfying unplugged session''. For this reason, the Agent
19702 adds two visual effects to your summary buffer. These effects display
19703 the download status of each article so that you always know which
19704 articles will be available when unplugged.
19706 The first visual effect is the @samp{%O} spec. If you customize
19707 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} to include this specifier, you will add
19708 a single character field that indicates an article's download status.
19709 Articles that have been fetched into either the Agent or the Cache,
19710 will display @code{gnus-downloaded-mark} (defaults to @samp{+}). All
19711 other articles will display @code{gnus-undownloaded-mark} (defaults to
19712 @samp{-}). If you open a group that has not been agentized, a space
19713 (@samp{ }) will be displayed.
19715 The second visual effect are the undownloaded faces. The faces, there
19716 are three indicating the article's score (low, normal, high), seem to
19717 result in a love/hate response from many Gnus users. The problem is
19718 that the face selection is controlled by a list of condition tests and
19719 face names (See @code{gnus-summary-highlight}). Each condition is
19720 tested in the order in which it appears in the list so early
19721 conditions have precedence over later conditions. All of this means
19722 that, if you tick an undownloaded article, the article will continue
19723 to be displayed in the undownloaded face rather than the ticked face.
19725 If you use the Agent as a cache (to avoid downloading the same article
19726 each time you visit it or to minimize your connection time), the
19727 undownloaded face will probably seem like a good idea. The reason
19728 being that you do all of our work (marking, reading, deleting) with
19729 downloaded articles so the normal faces always appear. For those
19730 users using the agent to improve online performance by caching the NOV
19731 database (most users since 5.10.2), the undownloaded faces may appear
19732 to be an absolutely horrible idea. The issue being that, since none
19733 of their articles have been fetched into the Agent, all of the
19734 normal faces will be obscured by the undownloaded faces.
19736 If you would like to use the undownloaded faces, you must enable the
19737 undownloaded faces by setting the @code{agent-enable-undownloaded-faces}
19738 group parameter to @code{t}. This parameter, like all other agent
19739 parameters, may be set on an Agent Category (@pxref{Agent Categories}),
19740 a Group Topic (@pxref{Topic Parameters}), or an individual group
19741 (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
19743 The one problem common to all users using the agent is how quickly it
19744 can consume disk space. If you using the agent on many groups, it is
19745 even more difficult to effectively recover disk space. One solution
19746 is the @samp{%F} format available in @code{gnus-group-line-format}.
19747 This format will display the actual disk space used by articles
19748 fetched into both the agent and cache. By knowing which groups use
19749 the most space, users know where to focus their efforts when ``agent
19750 expiring'' articles.
19752 @node Agent as Cache
19753 @subsection Agent as Cache
19755 When Gnus is plugged, it is not efficient to download headers or
19756 articles from the server again, if they are already stored in the
19757 Agent. So, Gnus normally only downloads headers once, and stores them
19758 in the Agent. These headers are later used when generating the summary
19759 buffer, regardless of whether you are plugged or unplugged. Articles
19760 are not cached in the Agent by default though (that would potentially
19761 consume lots of disk space), but if you have already downloaded an
19762 article into the Agent, Gnus will not download the article from the
19763 server again but use the locally stored copy instead.
19765 If you so desire, you can configure the agent (see @code{gnus-agent-cache}
19766 @pxref{Agent Variables}) to always download headers and articles while
19767 plugged. Gnus will almost certainly be slower, but it will be kept
19768 synchronized with the server. That last point probably won't make any
19769 sense if you are using a nntp or nnimap back end.
19772 @subsection Agent Expiry
19774 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
19775 @findex gnus-agent-expire
19776 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire
19777 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire-group
19778 @findex gnus-agent-expire-group
19779 @cindex agent expiry
19780 @cindex Gnus agent expiry
19781 @cindex expiry, in Gnus agent
19783 The Agent back end, @code{nnagent}, doesn't handle expiry. Well, at
19784 least it doesn't handle it like other back ends. Instead, there are
19785 special @code{gnus-agent-expire} and @code{gnus-agent-expire-group}
19786 commands that will expire all read articles that are older than
19787 @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} days. They can be run whenever you feel
19788 that you're running out of space. Neither are particularly fast or
19789 efficient, and it's not a particularly good idea to interrupt them (with
19790 @kbd{C-g} or anything else) once you've started one of them.
19792 Note that other functions, e.g. @code{gnus-request-expire-articles},
19793 might run @code{gnus-agent-expire} for you to keep the agent
19794 synchronized with the group.
19796 The agent parameter @code{agent-enable-expiration} may be used to
19797 prevent expiration in selected groups.
19799 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-all
19800 If @code{gnus-agent-expire-all} is non-@code{nil}, the agent
19801 expiration commands will expire all articles---unread, read, ticked
19802 and dormant. If @code{nil} (which is the default), only read articles
19803 are eligible for expiry, and unread, ticked and dormant articles will
19804 be kept indefinitely.
19806 If you find that some articles eligible for expiry are never expired,
19807 perhaps some Gnus Agent files are corrupted. There's are special
19808 commands, @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} and
19809 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group}, to fix possible problems.
19811 @node Agent Regeneration
19812 @subsection Agent Regeneration
19814 @cindex agent regeneration
19815 @cindex Gnus agent regeneration
19816 @cindex regeneration
19818 The local data structures used by @code{nnagent} may become corrupted
19819 due to certain exceptional conditions. When this happens,
19820 @code{nnagent} functionality may degrade or even fail. The solution
19821 to this problem is to repair the local data structures by removing all
19822 internal inconsistencies.
19824 For example, if your connection to your server is lost while
19825 downloaded articles into the agent, the local data structures will not
19826 know about articles successfully downloaded prior to the connection
19827 failure. Running @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} or
19828 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} will update the data structures
19829 such that you don't need to download these articles a second time.
19831 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate
19832 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-regenerate
19833 The command @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} will perform
19834 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} on every agentized group. While
19835 you can run @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} in any buffer, it is strongly
19836 recommended that you first close all summary buffers.
19838 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate-group
19839 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-regenerate-group
19840 The command @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} uses the local copies
19841 of individual articles to repair the local @acronym{NOV}(header) database. It
19842 then updates the internal data structures that document which articles
19843 are stored locally. An optional argument will mark articles in the
19846 @node Agent and flags
19847 @subsection Agent and flags
19849 The Agent works with any Gnus back end including those, such as
19850 nnimap, that store flags (read, ticked, etc) on the server. Sadly,
19851 the Agent does not actually know which backends keep their flags in
19852 the backend server rather than in @file{.newsrc}. This means that the
19853 Agent, while unplugged or disconnected, will always record all changes
19854 to the flags in its own files.
19856 When you plug back in, Gnus will then check to see if you have any
19857 changed any flags and ask if you wish to synchronize these with the
19858 server. This behavior is customizable by @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags}.
19860 @vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
19861 If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
19862 never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, which is
19863 the default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so
19864 ask if you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has
19865 any other value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
19867 If you do not wish to synchronize flags automatically when you
19868 re-connect, you can do it manually with the
19869 @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} command that is bound to @kbd{J Y}
19870 in the group buffer.
19872 Technical note: the synchronization algorithm does not work by ``pushing''
19873 all local flags to the server, but rather by incrementally updated the
19874 server view of flags by changing only those flags that were changed by
19875 the user. Thus, if you set one flag on an article, quit the group then
19876 re-select the group and remove the flag; the flag will be set and
19877 removed from the server when you ``synchronize''. The queued flag
19878 operations can be found in the per-server @code{flags} file in the Agent
19879 directory. It's emptied when you synchronize flags.
19881 @node Agent and IMAP
19882 @subsection Agent and IMAP
19884 The Agent works with any Gnus back end, including nnimap. However,
19885 since there are some conceptual differences between @acronym{NNTP} and
19886 @acronym{IMAP}, this section (should) provide you with some information to
19887 make Gnus Agent work smoother as a @acronym{IMAP} Disconnected Mode client.
19889 Some things are currently not implemented in the Agent that you'd might
19890 expect from a disconnected @acronym{IMAP} client, including:
19895 Copying/moving articles into nnimap groups when unplugged.
19898 Creating/deleting nnimap groups when unplugged.
19902 @node Outgoing Messages
19903 @subsection Outgoing Messages
19905 By default, when Gnus is unplugged, all outgoing messages (both mail
19906 and news) are stored in the draft group ``queue'' (@pxref{Drafts}).
19907 You can view them there after posting, and edit them at will.
19909 You can control the circumstances under which outgoing mail is queued
19910 (see @code{gnus-agent-queue-mail}, @pxref{Agent Variables}). Outgoing
19911 news is always queued when Gnus is unplugged, and never otherwise.
19913 You can send the messages either from the draft group with the special
19914 commands available there, or you can use the @kbd{J S} command in the
19915 group buffer to send all the sendable messages in the draft group.
19916 Posting news will only work when Gnus is plugged, but you can send
19919 If sending mail while unplugged does not work for you and you worry
19920 about hitting @kbd{J S} by accident when unplugged, you can have Gnus
19921 ask you to confirm your action (see
19922 @code{gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue}, @pxref{Agent Variables}).
19924 @node Agent Variables
19925 @subsection Agent Variables
19930 Is the agent enabled? The default is @code{t}. When first enabled,
19931 the agent will use @code{gnus-agent-auto-agentize-methods} to
19932 automatically mark some back ends as agentized. You may change which
19933 back ends are agentized using the agent commands in the server buffer.
19935 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
19936 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
19939 @item gnus-agent-directory
19940 @vindex gnus-agent-directory
19941 Where the Gnus Agent will store its files. The default is
19942 @file{~/News/agent/}.
19944 @item gnus-agent-handle-level
19945 @vindex gnus-agent-handle-level
19946 Groups on levels (@pxref{Group Levels}) higher than this variable will
19947 be ignored by the Agent. The default is @code{gnus-level-subscribed},
19948 which means that only subscribed group will be considered by the Agent
19951 @item gnus-agent-plugged-hook
19952 @vindex gnus-agent-plugged-hook
19953 Hook run when connecting to the network.
19955 @item gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
19956 @vindex gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
19957 Hook run when disconnecting from the network.
19959 @item gnus-agent-fetched-hook
19960 @vindex gnus-agent-fetched-hook
19961 Hook run when finished fetching articles.
19963 @item gnus-agent-cache
19964 @vindex gnus-agent-cache
19965 Variable to control whether use the locally stored @acronym{NOV} and
19966 articles when plugged, e.g. essentially using the Agent as a cache.
19967 The default is non-@code{nil}, which means to use the Agent as a cache.
19969 @item gnus-agent-go-online
19970 @vindex gnus-agent-go-online
19971 If @code{gnus-agent-go-online} is @code{nil}, the Agent will never
19972 automatically switch offline servers into online status. If it is
19973 @code{ask}, the default, the Agent will ask if you wish to switch
19974 offline servers into online status when you re-connect. If it has any
19975 other value, all offline servers will be automatically switched into
19978 @item gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded
19979 @vindex gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded
19980 If @code{gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded} is non-@code{nil},
19981 mark articles as unread after downloading. This is usually a safe
19982 thing to do as the newly downloaded article has obviously not been
19983 read. The default is @code{t}.
19985 @item gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
19986 @vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
19987 If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
19988 never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, which is
19989 the default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so
19990 ask if you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has
19991 any other value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
19993 @item gnus-agent-consider-all-articles
19994 @vindex gnus-agent-consider-all-articles
19995 If @code{gnus-agent-consider-all-articles} is non-@code{nil}, the
19996 agent will let the agent predicate decide whether articles need to be
19997 downloaded or not, for all articles. When @code{nil}, the default,
19998 the agent will only let the predicate decide whether unread articles
19999 are downloaded or not. If you enable this, you may also want to look
20000 into the agent expiry settings (@pxref{Category Variables}), so that
20001 the agent doesn't download articles which the agent will later expire,
20002 over and over again.
20004 @item gnus-agent-max-fetch-size
20005 @vindex gnus-agent-max-fetch-size
20006 The agent fetches articles into a temporary buffer prior to parsing
20007 them into individual files. To avoid exceeding the max. buffer size,
20008 the agent alternates between fetching and parsing until all articles
20009 have been fetched. @code{gnus-agent-max-fetch-size} provides a size
20010 limit to control how often the cycling occurs. A large value improves
20011 performance. A small value minimizes the time lost should the
20012 connection be lost while fetching (You may need to run
20013 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} to update the group's state.
20014 However, all articles parsed prior to loosing the connection will be
20015 available while unplugged). The default is 10M so it is unusual to
20018 @item gnus-server-unopen-status
20019 @vindex gnus-server-unopen-status
20020 Perhaps not an Agent variable, but closely related to the Agent, this
20021 variable says what will happen if Gnus cannot open a server. If the
20022 Agent is enabled, the default, @code{nil}, makes Gnus ask the user
20023 whether to deny the server or whether to unplug the agent. If the
20024 Agent is disabled, Gnus always simply deny the server. Other choices
20025 for this variable include @code{denied} and @code{offline} the latter
20026 is only valid if the Agent is used.
20028 @item gnus-auto-goto-ignores
20029 @vindex gnus-auto-goto-ignores
20030 Another variable that isn't an Agent variable, yet so closely related
20031 that most will look for it here, this variable tells the summary
20032 buffer how to maneuver around undownloaded (only headers stored in the
20033 agent) and unfetched (neither article nor headers stored) articles.
20035 The valid values are @code{nil} (maneuver to any article),
20036 @code{undownloaded} (maneuvering while unplugged ignores articles that
20037 have not been fetched), @code{always-undownloaded} (maneuvering always
20038 ignores articles that have not been fetched), @code{unfetched}
20039 (maneuvering ignores articles whose headers have not been fetched).
20041 @item gnus-agent-queue-mail
20042 @vindex gnus-agent-queue-mail
20043 When @code{gnus-agent-queue-mail} is @code{always}, Gnus will always
20044 queue mail rather than sending it straight away. When @code{t}, Gnus
20045 will queue mail when unplugged only. When @code{nil}, never queue
20046 mail. The default is @code{t}.
20048 @item gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue
20049 @vindex gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue
20050 When @code{gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue} is non-@code{nil} Gnus will
20051 prompt you to confirm that you really wish to proceed if you hit
20052 @kbd{J S} while unplugged. The default is @code{nil}.
20054 @item gnus-agent-auto-agentize-methods
20055 @vindex gnus-agent-auto-agentize-methods
20056 If you have never used the Agent before (or more technically, if
20057 @file{~/News/agent/lib/servers} does not exist), Gnus will
20058 automatically agentize a few servers for you. This variable control
20059 which back ends should be auto-agentized. It is typically only useful
20060 to agentize remote back ends. The auto-agentizing has the same effect
20061 as running @kbd{J a} on the servers (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}).
20062 If the file exist, you must manage the servers manually by adding or
20063 removing them, this variable is only applicable the first time you
20064 start Gnus. The default is @samp{(nntp nnimap)}.
20069 @node Example Setup
20070 @subsection Example Setup
20072 If you don't want to read this manual, and you have a fairly standard
20073 setup, you may be able to use something like the following as your
20074 @file{~/.gnus.el} file to get started.
20077 ;; @r{Define how Gnus is to fetch news. We do this over @acronym{NNTP}}
20078 ;; @r{from your ISP's server.}
20079 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.your-isp.com"))
20081 ;; @r{Define how Gnus is to read your mail. We read mail from}
20082 ;; @r{your ISP's @acronym{POP} server.}
20083 (setq mail-sources '((pop :server "pop.your-isp.com")))
20085 ;; @r{Say how Gnus is to store the mail. We use nnml groups.}
20086 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
20088 ;; @r{Make Gnus into an offline newsreader.}
20089 ;; (gnus-agentize) ; @r{The obsolete setting.}
20090 ;; (setq gnus-agent t) ; @r{Now the default.}
20093 That should be it, basically. Put that in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file,
20094 edit to suit your needs, start up PPP (or whatever), and type @kbd{M-x
20097 If this is the first time you've run Gnus, you will be subscribed
20098 automatically to a few default newsgroups. You'll probably want to
20099 subscribe to more groups, and to do that, you have to query the
20100 @acronym{NNTP} server for a complete list of groups with the @kbd{A A}
20101 command. This usually takes quite a while, but you only have to do it
20104 After reading and parsing a while, you'll be presented with a list of
20105 groups. Subscribe to the ones you want to read with the @kbd{u}
20106 command. @kbd{l} to make all the killed groups disappear after you've
20107 subscribe to all the groups you want to read. (@kbd{A k} will bring
20108 back all the killed groups.)
20110 You can now read the groups at once, or you can download the articles
20111 with the @kbd{J s} command. And then read the rest of this manual to
20112 find out which of the other gazillion things you want to customize.
20115 @node Batching Agents
20116 @subsection Batching Agents
20117 @findex gnus-agent-batch
20119 Having the Gnus Agent fetch articles (and post whatever messages you've
20120 written) is quite easy once you've gotten things set up properly. The
20121 following shell script will do everything that is necessary:
20123 You can run a complete batch command from the command line with the
20124 following incantation:
20128 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-agent-batch >/dev/null 2>&1
20132 @node Agent Caveats
20133 @subsection Agent Caveats
20135 The Gnus Agent doesn't seem to work like most other offline
20136 newsreaders. Here are some common questions that some imaginary people
20140 @item If I read an article while plugged, do they get entered into the Agent?
20142 @strong{No}. If you want this behavior, add
20143 @code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} to
20144 @code{gnus-select-article-hook}.
20146 @item If I read an article while plugged, and the article already exists in
20147 the Agent, will it get downloaded once more?
20149 @strong{No}, unless @code{gnus-agent-cache} is @code{nil}.
20153 In short, when Gnus is unplugged, it only looks into the locally stored
20154 articles; when it's plugged, it talks to your ISP and may also use the
20155 locally stored articles.
20162 Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
20163 scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
20164 something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
20167 @vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
20168 All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
20169 which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
20170 interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
20171 @code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
20173 Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
20174 before generating the summary buffer.
20176 There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
20177 entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
20178 lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
20180 There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
20181 Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
20182 temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
20183 silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
20186 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
20187 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
20188 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
20189 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
20190 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
20191 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
20192 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
20193 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
20194 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
20195 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
20196 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
20197 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
20198 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
20199 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
20200 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
20201 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
20205 @node Summary Score Commands
20206 @section Summary Score Commands
20207 @cindex score commands
20209 The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
20210 score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
20211 previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
20212 @dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
20213 entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
20215 The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
20216 if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
20217 some other score file (e.g. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
20218 score file the current one.
20220 General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
20225 @kindex V s (Summary)
20226 @findex gnus-summary-set-score
20227 Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
20230 @kindex V S (Summary)
20231 @findex gnus-summary-current-score
20232 Display the score of the current article
20233 (@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
20236 @kindex V t (Summary)
20237 @findex gnus-score-find-trace
20238 Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
20239 (@code{gnus-score-find-trace}). In the @code{*Score Trace*} buffer, you
20240 may type @kbd{e} to edit score file corresponding to the score rule on
20241 current line and @kbd{f} to format (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) the
20242 score file and edit it.
20245 @kindex V w (Summary)
20246 @findex gnus-score-find-favourite-words
20247 List words used in scoring (@code{gnus-score-find-favourite-words}).
20250 @kindex V R (Summary)
20251 @findex gnus-summary-rescore
20252 Run the current summary through the scoring process
20253 (@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
20254 around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
20255 effect you're having.
20258 @kindex V c (Summary)
20259 @findex gnus-score-change-score-file
20260 Make a different score file the current
20261 (@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
20264 @kindex V e (Summary)
20265 @findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
20266 Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
20267 You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
20271 @kindex V f (Summary)
20272 @findex gnus-score-edit-file
20273 Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
20274 (@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
20277 @kindex V F (Summary)
20278 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
20279 Flush the score cache (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
20280 after editing score files.
20283 @kindex V C (Summary)
20284 @findex gnus-score-customize
20285 Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
20286 (@code{gnus-score-customize}).
20290 The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
20295 @kindex V m (Summary)
20296 @findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
20297 Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
20298 read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
20301 @kindex V x (Summary)
20302 @findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
20303 Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
20304 expunge all articles below this score
20305 (@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
20308 The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
20309 pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
20312 @findex gnus-summary-increase-score
20313 @findex gnus-summary-lower-score
20317 The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
20318 or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
20320 The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
20321 keys are available:
20325 Score on the author name.
20328 Score on the subject line.
20331 Score on the @code{Xref} line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
20334 Score on the @code{References} line.
20340 Score on the number of lines.
20343 Score on the @code{Message-ID} header.
20346 Score on an ``extra'' header, that is, one of those in gnus-extra-headers,
20347 if your @acronym{NNTP} server tracks additional header data in overviews.
20350 Score on followups---this matches the author name, and adds scores to
20351 the followups to this author. (Using this key leads to the creation of
20352 @file{ADAPT} files.)
20361 Score on thread. (Using this key leads to the creation of @file{ADAPT}
20367 The third key is the match type. Which match types are valid depends on
20368 what headers you are scoring on.
20380 Substring matching.
20383 Fuzzy matching (@pxref{Fuzzy Matching}).
20412 Greater than number.
20417 The fourth and usually final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e.,
20418 expiring) score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry,
20419 or whether it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score
20424 Temporary score entry.
20427 Permanent score entry.
20430 Immediately scoring.
20434 If you are scoring on `e' (extra) headers, you will then be prompted for
20435 the header name on which you wish to score. This must be a header named
20436 in gnus-extra-headers, and @samp{TAB} completion is available.
20440 So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
20441 exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
20442 score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
20443 temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
20445 To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
20446 a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
20447 defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
20448 ``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
20449 t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
20451 These functions take both the numerical prefix and the symbolic prefix
20452 (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}). A numerical prefix says how much to lower
20453 (or increase) the score of the article. A symbolic prefix of @code{a}
20454 says to use the @file{all.SCORE} file for the command instead of the
20455 current score file.
20457 @vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
20458 The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
20459 pretend they are keymaps or not.
20462 @node Group Score Commands
20463 @section Group Score Commands
20464 @cindex group score commands
20466 There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
20471 @kindex W e (Group)
20472 @findex gnus-score-edit-all-score
20473 Edit the apply-to-all-groups all.SCORE file. You will be popped into
20474 a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score File Editing}).
20477 @kindex W f (Group)
20478 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
20479 Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
20480 all the time. This command will flush the cache
20481 (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
20485 You can do scoring from the command line by saying something like:
20487 @findex gnus-batch-score
20488 @cindex batch scoring
20490 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-batch-score
20494 @node Score Variables
20495 @section Score Variables
20496 @cindex score variables
20500 @item gnus-use-scoring
20501 @vindex gnus-use-scoring
20502 If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
20503 general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
20505 @item gnus-kill-killed
20506 @vindex gnus-kill-killed
20507 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
20508 articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
20509 may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
20510 to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
20511 group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
20512 variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
20514 @item gnus-kill-files-directory
20515 @vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
20516 All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
20517 initialized from the @env{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
20518 This is @file{~/News/} by default.
20520 @item gnus-score-file-suffix
20521 @vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
20522 Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
20523 (@file{SCORE} by default.)
20525 @item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
20526 @vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
20527 @cindex score cache
20528 All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
20529 score files. However, if this might make your Emacs grow big and
20530 bloated, so this regexp can be used to weed out score files unlikely
20531 to be needed again. It would be a bad idea to deny caching of
20532 @file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
20533 @file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
20534 variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
20537 @item gnus-save-score
20538 @vindex gnus-save-score
20539 If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
20540 scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
20541 Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
20543 If you do not set this to @code{t}, then manual scores (like those set
20544 with @kbd{V s} (@code{gnus-summary-set-score})) will not be preserved
20545 across group visits.
20547 @item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
20548 @vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
20549 Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
20550 score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
20551 ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
20552 We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
20553 manually entered data.
20555 @item gnus-summary-default-score
20556 @vindex gnus-summary-default-score
20557 Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
20559 @item gnus-summary-expunge-below
20560 @vindex gnus-summary-expunge-below
20561 Don't display the summary lines of articles that have scores lower than
20562 this variable. This is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
20563 articles will be hidden. This variable is local to the summary buffers,
20564 and has to be set from @code{gnus-summary-mode-hook}.
20566 @item gnus-score-over-mark
20567 @vindex gnus-score-over-mark
20568 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
20569 default. Default is @samp{+}.
20571 @item gnus-score-below-mark
20572 @vindex gnus-score-below-mark
20573 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
20574 default. Default is @samp{-}.
20576 @item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
20577 @vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
20578 Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
20579 is called with the name of the group as the argument.
20581 Predefined functions available are:
20584 @item gnus-score-find-single
20585 @findex gnus-score-find-single
20586 Only apply the group's own score file.
20588 @item gnus-score-find-bnews
20589 @findex gnus-score-find-bnews
20590 Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
20591 default. If the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, for instance,
20592 @file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
20593 @file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
20594 @samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
20595 then a regexp match is done.
20597 This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
20598 all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
20600 The score files are applied in a semi-random order, although Gnus will
20601 try to apply the more general score files before the more specific score
20602 files. It does this by looking at the number of elements in the score
20603 file names---discarding the @samp{all} elements.
20605 @item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
20606 @findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
20607 Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
20608 can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE}, but you can have
20609 @file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and @file{comp.emacs.SCORE} for each
20613 This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all
20614 these functions will be called with the group name as argument, and
20615 all the returned lists of score files will be applied. These
20616 functions can also return lists of lists of score alists directly. In
20617 that case, the functions that return these non-file score alists
20618 should probably be placed before the ``real'' score file functions, to
20619 ensure that the last score file returned is the local score file.
20622 For example, to do hierarchical scoring but use a non-server-specific
20623 overall score file, you could use the value
20625 (list (lambda (group) ("all.SCORE"))
20626 'gnus-score-find-hierarchical)
20629 @item gnus-score-expiry-days
20630 @vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
20631 This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
20632 entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
20633 are expired. It's 7 by default.
20635 @item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
20636 @vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
20637 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, temporary score entries that have
20638 been triggered (matched) will have their dates updated. (This is how Gnus
20639 controls expiry---all non-matched-entries will become too old while
20640 matched entries will stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this
20641 variable to @code{nil}, even matched entries will grow old and will
20642 have to face that oh-so grim reaper.
20644 @item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
20645 @vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
20646 Function called with the name of the score file just written.
20648 @item gnus-score-thread-simplify
20649 @vindex gnus-score-thread-simplify
20650 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, article subjects will be
20651 simplified for subject scoring purposes in the same manner as with
20652 threading---according to the current value of
20653 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions}. If the scoring entry uses
20654 @code{substring} or @code{exact} matching, the match will also be
20655 simplified in this manner.
20660 @node Score File Format
20661 @section Score File Format
20662 @cindex score file format
20664 A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
20665 single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
20666 everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
20668 Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
20672 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
20674 ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
20676 ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
20678 ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
20683 (mark-and-expunge -10)
20687 (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
20688 (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
20689 (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
20690 (gnus-summary-make-false-root empty))
20694 This example demonstrates most score file elements. @xref{Advanced
20695 Scoring}, for a different approach.
20697 Even though this looks much like Lisp code, nothing here is actually
20698 @code{eval}ed. The Lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
20699 has to be valid syntactically, if not semantically.
20701 Six keys are supported by this alist:
20706 If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
20707 match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
20708 @code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
20709 @code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
20710 these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
20711 article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
20712 will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
20713 perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
20714 perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
20715 last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
20716 final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
20717 entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
20718 to articles that matches these score entries.
20720 Following this key is an arbitrary number of score entries, where each
20721 score entry has one to four elements.
20725 The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
20726 be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
20730 If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
20731 element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
20732 interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
20733 is successful. If this element is not present, the
20734 @code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
20735 instead. This is 1000 by default.
20738 If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
20739 element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
20740 which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
20741 element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
20742 represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 BCE.
20745 If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
20746 element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
20747 whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
20748 be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
20751 @item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
20752 For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
20753 well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
20754 @code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
20755 element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
20756 be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
20757 that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
20758 one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
20759 @code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
20760 instead, if you feel like.
20763 Just as for the standard string overview headers, if you are using
20764 gnus-extra-headers, you can score on these headers' values. In this
20765 case, there is a 5th element in the score entry, being the name of the
20766 header to be scored. The following entry is useful in your
20767 @file{all.SCORE} file in case of spam attacks from a single origin
20768 host, if your @acronym{NNTP} server tracks @samp{NNTP-Posting-Host} in
20772 ("111.222.333.444" -1000 nil s
20773 "NNTP-Posting-Host")
20777 These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
20778 @code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}.
20780 These predicates are true if
20783 (PREDICATE HEADER MATCH)
20786 evaluates to non-@code{nil}. For instance, the advanced match
20787 @code{("lines" 4 <)} (@pxref{Advanced Scoring}) will result in the
20794 Or to put it another way: When using @code{<} on @code{Lines} with 4 as
20795 the match, we get the score added if the article has less than 4 lines.
20796 (It's easy to get confused and think it's the other way around. But
20797 it's not. I think.)
20799 When matching on @code{Lines}, be careful because some back ends (like
20800 @code{nndir}) do not generate @code{Lines} header, so every article ends
20801 up being marked as having 0 lines. This can lead to strange results if
20802 you happen to lower score of the articles with few lines.
20805 For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
20806 @code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
20807 ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
20808 this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
20809 Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
20810 sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
20811 quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
20815 A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
20816 date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
20817 ISO8601 compact format first---@var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS}. If
20818 you want to match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in
20819 every year, you could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string,
20820 for instance. (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so
20821 this will match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where
20822 the article was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the
20825 @item Head, Body, All
20826 These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
20830 This match key is somewhat special, in that it will match the
20831 @code{From} header, and affect the score of not only the matching
20832 articles, but also all followups to the matching articles. This allows
20833 you e.g. increase the score of followups to your own articles, or
20834 decrease the score of followups to the articles of some known
20835 trouble-maker. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header
20836 uses. (Using this match key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT}
20840 This match key works along the same lines as the @code{Followup} match
20841 key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread started by an
20842 article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{x}, then you add a @samp{thread}
20843 match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each article that
20844 has @var{x} in its @code{References} header. (These new @samp{thread}
20845 matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching articles.)
20846 This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an entire thread,
20847 even though some articles in the thread may not have complete
20848 @code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to
20849 undeterministic scores of the articles in the thread. (Using this match
20850 key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT} files.)
20854 @cindex score file atoms
20856 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
20857 lower than this number will be marked as read.
20860 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
20861 lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
20863 @item mark-and-expunge
20864 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
20865 lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
20868 @item thread-mark-and-expunge
20869 The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
20870 a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
20871 and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
20872 says how to compute the total score for a thread.
20875 The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
20876 are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
20879 @item exclude-files
20880 The clue of this entry should be any number of files. These files will
20881 not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
20885 The value of this entry will be @code{eval}el. This element will be
20886 ignored when handling global score files.
20889 Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
20890 should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}). (Note:
20891 @dfn{Global} here really means @dfn{global}; not your personal
20892 apply-to-all-groups score files.)
20895 The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
20896 parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
20897 some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
20898 will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
20900 You can do this with the following two score file entries:
20904 (mark-and-expunge -100)
20907 When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
20908 threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
20909 interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{C y}) the
20910 rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
20911 interesting threads, plus any new threads.
20913 I.e.---the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where a few
20914 interesting threads which can't be found automatically by ordinary
20915 scoring rules exist.
20918 This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
20919 default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
20920 adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
20921 list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
20922 or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
20923 adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
20924 scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
20925 @code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
20926 not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
20927 groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
20928 insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
20932 All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
20933 will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
20934 if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
20935 file for a number of groups.
20938 @cindex local variables
20939 The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(@var{var}
20940 @var{value})} pairs. Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the
20941 current summary buffer, and set to the value specified. This is a
20942 convenient, if somewhat strange, way of setting variables in some
20943 groups if you don't like hooks much. Note that the @var{value} won't
20948 @node Score File Editing
20949 @section Score File Editing
20951 You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
20952 might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
20953 with a mode for that.
20955 It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
20956 additional commands:
20961 @kindex C-c C-c (Score)
20962 @findex gnus-score-edit-done
20963 Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
20964 (@code{gnus-score-edit-done}).
20967 @kindex C-c C-d (Score)
20968 @findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
20969 Insert the current date in numerical format
20970 (@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
20971 you were wondering.
20974 @kindex C-c C-p (Score)
20975 @findex gnus-score-pretty-print
20976 The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
20977 intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
20978 first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
20983 Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
20985 @vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
20986 @code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
20988 In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f}, @kbd{V e} and
20989 @kbd{V t} to begin editing score files.
20992 @node Adaptive Scoring
20993 @section Adaptive Scoring
20994 @cindex adaptive scoring
20996 If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
20997 happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
20998 stupidity, to be precise.
21000 @vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
21001 When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
21002 article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
21003 these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
21004 You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
21005 @code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
21006 words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
21007 @code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
21008 variable to @code{(word line)}.
21010 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
21011 To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
21012 the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
21013 might look something like this:
21016 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
21017 '((gnus-unread-mark)
21018 (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
21019 (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
21020 (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
21021 (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
21022 (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
21023 (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
21024 (gnus-kill-file-mark)
21025 (gnus-ancient-mark)
21026 (gnus-low-score-mark)
21027 (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
21030 As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
21031 variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
21032 a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
21033 pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
21034 that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
21035 @code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
21038 Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
21039 will be applied to each article.
21041 To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
21042 articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{e}) will have a
21043 score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
21044 lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
21046 If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
21047 @code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
21048 That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
21049 should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
21051 If you have auto-expirable (mail) groups (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), all
21052 the read articles will be marked with the @samp{E} mark. This'll
21053 probably make adaptive scoring slightly impossible, so auto-expiring and
21054 adaptive scoring doesn't really mix very well.
21056 The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
21057 @code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
21058 @code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
21059 @code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
21060 on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
21061 current article, thereby matching the following thread.
21063 If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
21064 to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
21065 changes result in articles getting marked as read.
21067 After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
21068 become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
21069 the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
21071 You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
21072 by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
21073 let you use different rules in different groups.
21075 @vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
21076 The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
21077 group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
21080 @vindex gnus-adaptive-pretty-print
21081 Adaptive score files can get huge and are not meant to be edited by
21082 human hands. If @code{gnus-adaptive-pretty-print} is @code{nil} (the
21083 deafult) those files will not be written in a human readable way.
21085 @vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
21086 When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
21087 give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
21088 matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
21089 the length of the match is less than
21090 @code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
21091 this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
21094 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
21095 As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
21096 headers. If you adapt on words, the
21097 @code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
21098 each instance of a word should add given a mark.
21101 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
21102 `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
21103 (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
21104 (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
21105 (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
21108 This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
21109 word that appears in subjects of articles marked with
21110 @code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
21111 score with 30 points.
21113 @vindex gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words
21114 @vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
21115 Words that appear in the @code{gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words} list
21116 will be ignored. If you wish to add more words to be ignored, use the
21117 @code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list instead.
21119 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit
21120 Some may feel that short words shouldn't count when doing adaptive
21121 scoring. If so, you may set @code{gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit} to
21122 an integer. Words shorter than this number will be ignored. This
21123 variable defaults to @code{nil}.
21125 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
21126 When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
21127 syntax table in effect. It is similar to the standard syntax table, but
21128 it considers numbers to be non-word-constituent characters.
21130 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-minimum
21131 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} is set to a number, the adaptive
21132 word scoring process will never bring down the score of an article to
21133 below this number. The default is @code{nil}.
21135 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words
21136 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words} is set to @code{t}, gnus
21137 won't adaptively word score any of the words in the group name. Useful
21138 for groups like @samp{comp.editors.emacs}, where most of the subject
21139 lines contain the word @samp{emacs}.
21141 After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
21142 @code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
21143 what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
21145 Note that the adaptive word scoring thing is highly experimental and is
21146 likely to change in the future. Initial impressions seem to indicate
21147 that it's totally useless as it stands. Some more work (involving more
21148 rigorous statistical methods) will have to be done to make this useful.
21151 @node Home Score File
21152 @section Home Score File
21154 The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
21155 @dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
21156 for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
21157 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
21159 However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
21160 a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
21161 could perhaps use the same home score file.
21163 @vindex gnus-home-score-file
21164 The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
21169 A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
21173 A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
21174 file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
21178 A list. The elements in this list can be:
21182 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{file-name})}. If the @var{regexp} matches the
21183 group name, the @var{file-name} will be used as the home score file.
21186 A function. If the function returns non-@code{nil}, the result will
21187 be used as the home score file. The function will be called with the
21188 name of the group as the parameter.
21191 A string. Use the string as the home score file.
21194 The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
21199 So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
21202 (setq gnus-home-score-file
21203 "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
21206 If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
21207 @file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
21209 @findex gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file
21211 (setq gnus-home-score-file
21212 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
21215 This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
21216 Other functions include
21219 @item gnus-current-home-score-file
21220 @findex gnus-current-home-score-file
21221 Return the ``current'' regular score file. This will make scoring
21222 commands add entry to the ``innermost'' matching score file.
21226 If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
21227 another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
21228 their own home score files:
21231 (setq gnus-home-score-file
21232 ;; @r{All groups that match the regexp @code{"\\.emacs"}}
21233 '(("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
21234 ;; @r{All the comp groups in one score file}
21235 ("^comp" "comp.SCORE")))
21238 @vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
21239 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
21240 @code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
21241 is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
21242 specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
21244 In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
21245 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
21246 (@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
21247 Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
21248 precedence over this variable.
21251 @node Followups To Yourself
21252 @section Followups To Yourself
21254 Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
21255 the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
21256 this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
21257 articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
21258 respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
21259 to easily note when people answer what you've said.
21263 @item gnus-score-followup-article
21264 @findex gnus-score-followup-article
21265 This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
21268 @item gnus-score-followup-thread
21269 @findex gnus-score-followup-thread
21270 This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
21274 @vindex message-sent-hook
21275 These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
21276 @code{message-sent-hook}, like this:
21278 (add-hook 'message-sent-hook 'gnus-score-followup-thread)
21282 If you look closely at your own @code{Message-ID}, you'll notice that
21283 the first two or three characters are always the same. Here's two of
21287 <x6u3u47icf.fsf@@eyesore.no>
21288 <x6sp9o7ibw.fsf@@eyesore.no>
21291 So ``my'' ident on this machine is @samp{x6}. This can be
21292 exploited---the following rule will raise the score on all followups to
21297 ("<x6[0-9a-z]+\\.fsf\\(_-_\\)?@@.*eyesore\\.no>"
21301 Whether it's the first two or first three characters that are ``yours''
21302 is system-dependent.
21305 @node Scoring On Other Headers
21306 @section Scoring On Other Headers
21307 @cindex scoring on other headers
21309 Gnus is quite fast when scoring the ``traditional''
21310 headers---@samp{From}, @samp{Subject} and so on. However, scoring
21311 other headers requires writing a @code{head} scoring rule, which means
21312 that Gnus has to request every single article from the back end to find
21313 matches. This takes a long time in big groups.
21315 Now, there's not much you can do about this for news groups, but for
21316 mail groups, you have greater control. In @ref{To From Newsgroups},
21317 it's explained in greater detail what this mechanism does, but here's
21318 a cookbook example for @code{nnml} on how to allow scoring on the
21319 @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} headers.
21321 Put the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
21324 (setq gnus-extra-headers '(To Cc Newsgroups Keywords)
21325 nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
21328 Restart Gnus and rebuild your @code{nnml} overview files with the
21329 @kbd{M-x nnml-generate-nov-databases} command. This will take a long
21330 time if you have much mail.
21332 Now you can score on @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} as ``extra headers'' like
21333 so: @kbd{I e s p To RET <your name> RET}.
21337 @vindex gnus-inhibit-slow-scoring
21338 You can inhibit scoring the slow scoring on headers or body by setting
21339 the variable @code{gnus-inhibit-slow-scoring}. If
21340 @code{gnus-inhibit-slow-scoring} is regexp, slow scoring is inhibited if
21341 the group matches the regexp. If it is t, slow scoring on it is
21342 inhibited for all groups.
21346 @section Scoring Tips
21347 @cindex scoring tips
21353 @cindex scoring crossposts
21354 If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
21355 the @code{Xref} header.
21357 ("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
21360 @item Multiple crossposts
21361 If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
21362 more than, say, 3 groups:
21365 ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+"
21369 @item Matching on the body
21370 This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
21371 Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
21372 you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
21373 keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
21374 and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
21375 will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
21376 @code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
21379 @item Marking as read
21380 You will probably want to mark articles that have scores below a certain
21381 number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
21382 in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
21386 You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
21388 @item Negated character classes
21389 If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
21390 That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
21391 @code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
21395 @node Reverse Scoring
21396 @section Reverse Scoring
21397 @cindex reverse scoring
21399 If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
21400 subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
21401 like this in your score file:
21405 ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
21410 So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
21411 rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
21414 @node Global Score Files
21415 @section Global Score Files
21416 @cindex global score files
21418 Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
21419 nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
21420 in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
21422 What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
21423 all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
21424 big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
21426 @vindex gnus-global-score-files
21427 All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
21428 @code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
21429 or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
21430 files are applicable to which group.
21432 To use the score file
21433 @file{/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE} and
21434 all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory,
21438 (setq gnus-global-score-files
21439 '("/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
21440 "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
21443 @findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
21445 Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
21446 directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
21447 If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
21448 use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
21450 Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
21451 somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
21453 If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
21454 just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
21455 world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
21456 wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
21457 sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
21458 premises! Yay! The net is saved!
21460 Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
21466 Articles heavily crossposted are probably junk.
21468 To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
21470 Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
21472 Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
21473 lowered out of existence.
21475 Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
21476 articles completely.
21479 Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
21480 should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
21481 old articles for a long time.
21484 @dots{} I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
21485 in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
21486 Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
21487 holding our breath yet?
21491 @section Kill Files
21494 Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
21495 entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
21496 Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
21498 In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
21499 than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
21500 files into score files.
21502 Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
21503 forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
21504 sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
21505 that isn't a very good idea.
21507 Normal kill files look like this:
21510 (gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
21511 (gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
21515 This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove the
21516 marked articles from the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
21518 Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
21519 encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
21522 Two summary functions for editing a @sc{gnus} kill file:
21527 @kindex M-k (Summary)
21528 @findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
21529 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
21532 @kindex M-K (Summary)
21533 @findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
21534 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
21537 Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
21542 @kindex M-k (Group)
21543 @findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
21544 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
21547 @kindex M-K (Group)
21548 @findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
21549 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
21552 Kill file variables:
21555 @item gnus-kill-file-name
21556 @vindex gnus-kill-file-name
21557 A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
21558 @file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
21559 this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
21560 The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
21561 course) is just called @file{KILL}.
21563 @vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
21564 @item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
21565 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
21566 kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
21569 @item gnus-apply-kill-hook
21570 @vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
21571 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
21572 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file
21573 A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
21574 @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
21575 kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
21576 hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
21577 kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
21579 @item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
21580 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
21581 A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
21586 @node Converting Kill Files
21587 @section Converting Kill Files
21589 @cindex converting kill files
21591 If you have loads of old kill files, you may want to convert them into
21592 score files. If they are ``regular'', you can use
21593 the @file{gnus-kill-to-score.el} package; if not, you'll have to do it
21596 The kill to score conversion package isn't included in Gnus by default.
21597 You can fetch it from
21598 @uref{http://www.stud.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/ding-various/gnus-kill-to-score.el}.
21600 If your old kill files are very complex---if they contain more
21601 non-@code{gnus-kill} forms than not, you'll have to convert them by
21602 hand. Or just let them be as they are. Gnus will still use them as
21606 @node Advanced Scoring
21607 @section Advanced Scoring
21609 Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
21610 really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
21611 about a particular subject? Or what if you really don't want to
21612 read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
21613 want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
21615 By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
21619 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
21620 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
21621 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
21625 @node Advanced Scoring Syntax
21626 @subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
21628 Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
21629 Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
21630 element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
21631 non-@code{nil} value.
21633 These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
21634 operator, and various match operators.
21641 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
21642 one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
21643 evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
21648 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
21649 one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
21650 then this operator will return @code{false}.
21655 This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
21656 logical negation of the value of its argument.
21660 There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
21661 apply to the ancestors of the current article being scored. For
21662 instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
21663 current article. @code{2-} will make score rules apply to the
21664 grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
21665 @code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) says how far back into
21666 the ancestry you want to go.
21668 Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
21669 real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
21670 and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
21671 "Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
21672 simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
21675 @node Advanced Scoring Examples
21676 @subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
21678 Please note that the following examples are score file rules. To
21679 make a complete score file from them, surround them with another pair
21682 Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
21683 when he's talking about Gnus:
21688 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
21689 ("subject" "Gnus"))
21696 When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
21700 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
21707 However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
21708 really don't want to read what he's written:
21712 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
21713 (1- ("from" "Reig Eigil Logge")))
21717 Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
21718 socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
21719 white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
21726 ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
21727 ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
21728 (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
21729 ("body" "white.*socks"))
21733 Suppose you're reading a high volume group and you're only interested
21734 in replies. The plan is to score down all articles that don't have
21735 subject that begin with "Re:", "Fw:" or "Fwd:" and then score up all
21736 parents of articles that have subjects that begin with reply marks.
21739 ((! ("subject" "re:\\|fwd?:" r))
21741 ((1- ("subject" "re:\\|fwd?:" r))
21745 The possibilities are endless.
21747 @node Advanced Scoring Tips
21748 @subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
21750 The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
21751 That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
21752 result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
21753 of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
21754 the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
21755 (@samp{body}, @samp{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
21756 @samp{subject}) first.
21758 The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
21759 arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
21770 Then that means ``score on the from header of the grandparent of the
21771 current article''. An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
21777 ("subject" "Gnus")))
21784 (1- ("from" "Lars"))
21785 (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
21790 @section Score Decays
21791 @cindex score decays
21794 You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
21795 bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
21796 big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
21797 use them in any sensible way.
21799 @vindex gnus-decay-scores
21800 @findex gnus-decay-score
21801 @vindex gnus-decay-score-function
21802 Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
21803 When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
21804 non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
21805 mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
21806 If @code{gnus-decay-scores} is a regexp, only score files matching this
21807 regexp are treated. E.g. you may set it to @samp{\\.ADAPT\\'} if only
21808 @emph{adaptive} score files should be decayed. The decay itself if
21809 performed by the @code{gnus-decay-score-function} function, which is
21810 @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the definition of that
21814 (defun gnus-decay-score (score)
21815 "Decay SCORE according to `gnus-score-decay-constant'
21816 and `gnus-score-decay-scale'."
21818 (* (if (< score 0) -1 1)
21820 (max gnus-score-decay-constant
21822 gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
21823 (if (and (featurep 'xemacs)
21824 ;; XEmacs' floor can handle only the floating point
21825 ;; number below the half of the maximum integer.
21826 (> (abs n) (lsh -1 -2)))
21828 (car (split-string (number-to-string n) "\\.")))
21832 @vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
21833 @vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
21834 @code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
21835 @code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
21839 Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
21842 Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
21845 Scores with magnitudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
21849 If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
21850 with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
21851 the new score, which should be an integer.
21853 Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
21854 four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
21859 @include message.texi
21860 @chapter Emacs MIME
21861 @include emacs-mime.texi
21863 @include sieve.texi
21875 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
21876 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
21877 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
21878 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
21879 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
21880 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
21881 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
21882 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
21883 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
21884 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
21885 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
21886 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
21887 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
21888 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
21889 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
21890 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
21891 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
21892 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
21893 * Thwarting Email Spam:: Simple ways to avoid unsolicited commercial email.
21894 * Spam Package:: A package for filtering and processing spam.
21895 * Other modes:: Interaction with other modes.
21896 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
21900 @node Process/Prefix
21901 @section Process/Prefix
21902 @cindex process/prefix convention
21904 Many functions, among them functions for moving, decoding and saving
21905 articles, use what is known as the @dfn{Process/Prefix convention}.
21907 This is a method for figuring out what articles the user wants the
21908 command to be performed on.
21912 If the numeric prefix is N, perform the operation on the next N
21913 articles, starting with the current one. If the numeric prefix is
21914 negative, perform the operation on the previous N articles, starting
21915 with the current one.
21917 @vindex transient-mark-mode
21918 If @code{transient-mark-mode} in non-@code{nil} and the region is
21919 active, all articles in the region will be worked upon.
21921 If there is no numeric prefix, but some articles are marked with the
21922 process mark, perform the operation on the articles marked with
21925 If there is neither a numeric prefix nor any articles marked with the
21926 process mark, just perform the operation on the current article.
21928 Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises
21931 Commands that react to the process mark will push the current list of
21932 process marked articles onto a stack and will then clear all process
21933 marked articles. You can restore the previous configuration with the
21934 @kbd{M P y} command (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
21936 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
21937 One thing that seems to shock & horrify lots of people is that, for
21938 instance, @kbd{3 d} does exactly the same as @kbd{d} @kbd{d} @kbd{d}.
21939 Since each @kbd{d} (which marks the current article as read) by default
21940 goes to the next unread article after marking, this means that @kbd{3 d}
21941 will mark the next three unread articles as read, no matter what the
21942 summary buffer looks like. Set @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} to
21943 @code{nil} for a more straightforward action.
21945 Many commands do not use the process/prefix convention. All commands
21946 that do explicitly say so in this manual. To apply the process/prefix
21947 convention to commands that do not use it, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
21948 command. For instance, to mark all the articles in the group as
21949 expirable, you could say @kbd{M P b M-& E}.
21953 @section Interactive
21954 @cindex interaction
21958 @item gnus-novice-user
21959 @vindex gnus-novice-user
21960 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you are either a newcomer to the
21961 World of Usenet, or you are very cautious, which is a nice thing to be,
21962 really. You will be given questions of the type ``Are you sure you want
21963 to do this?'' before doing anything dangerous. This is @code{t} by
21966 @item gnus-expert-user
21967 @vindex gnus-expert-user
21968 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will seldom be asked any
21969 questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what you're doing, no
21970 matter how strange.
21972 @item gnus-interactive-catchup
21973 @vindex gnus-interactive-catchup
21974 Require confirmation before catching up a group if non-@code{nil}. It
21975 is @code{t} by default.
21977 @item gnus-interactive-exit
21978 @vindex gnus-interactive-exit
21979 Require confirmation before exiting Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
21984 @node Symbolic Prefixes
21985 @section Symbolic Prefixes
21986 @cindex symbolic prefixes
21988 Quite a lot of Emacs commands react to the (numeric) prefix. For
21989 instance, @kbd{C-u 4 C-f} moves point four characters forward, and
21990 @kbd{C-u 9 0 0 I s s p} adds a permanent @code{Subject} substring score
21991 rule of 900 to the current article.
21993 This is all nice and well, but what if you want to give a command some
21994 additional information? Well, what most commands do is interpret the
21995 ``raw'' prefix in some special way. @kbd{C-u 0 C-x C-s} means that one
21996 doesn't want a backup file to be created when saving the current buffer,
21997 for instance. But what if you want to save without making a backup
21998 file, and you want Emacs to flash lights and play a nice tune at the
21999 same time? You can't, and you're probably perfectly happy that way.
22001 @kindex M-i (Summary)
22002 @findex gnus-symbolic-argument
22003 I'm not, so I've added a second prefix---the @dfn{symbolic prefix}. The
22004 prefix key is @kbd{M-i} (@code{gnus-symbolic-argument}), and the next
22005 character typed in is the value. You can stack as many @kbd{M-i}
22006 prefixes as you want. @kbd{M-i a C-M-u} means ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u}
22007 command the symbolic prefix @code{a}''. @kbd{M-i a M-i b C-M-u} means
22008 ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u} command the symbolic prefixes @code{a} and
22009 @code{b}''. You get the drift.
22011 Typing in symbolic prefixes to commands that don't accept them doesn't
22012 hurt, but it doesn't do any good either. Currently not many Gnus
22013 functions make use of the symbolic prefix.
22015 If you're interested in how Gnus implements this, @pxref{Extended
22019 @node Formatting Variables
22020 @section Formatting Variables
22021 @cindex formatting variables
22023 Throughout this manual you've probably noticed lots of variables called
22024 things like @code{gnus-group-line-format} and
22025 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. These control how Gnus is to
22026 output lines in the various buffers. There's quite a lot of them.
22027 Fortunately, they all use the same syntax, so there's not that much to
22030 Here's an example format spec (from the group buffer): @samp{%M%S%5y:
22031 %(%g%)\n}. We see that it is indeed extremely ugly, and that there are
22032 lots of percentages everywhere.
22035 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
22036 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
22037 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
22038 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
22039 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
22040 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
22041 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
22042 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
22045 Currently Gnus uses the following formatting variables:
22046 @code{gnus-group-line-format}, @code{gnus-summary-line-format},
22047 @code{gnus-server-line-format}, @code{gnus-topic-line-format},
22048 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format},
22049 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format},
22050 @code{gnus-article-mode-line-format},
22051 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format}, and
22052 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format}.
22054 All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that
22055 case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines.
22057 @kindex M-x gnus-update-format
22058 @findex gnus-update-format
22059 Gnus includes a command to help you while creating your own format
22060 specs. @kbd{M-x gnus-update-format} will @code{eval} the current form,
22061 update the spec in question and pop you to a buffer where you can
22062 examine the resulting Lisp code to be run to generate the line.
22066 @node Formatting Basics
22067 @subsection Formatting Basics
22069 Each @samp{%} element will be replaced by some string or other when the
22070 buffer in question is generated. @samp{%5y} means ``insert the @samp{y}
22071 spec, and pad with spaces to get a 5-character field''.
22073 As with normal C and Emacs Lisp formatting strings, the numerical
22074 modifier between the @samp{%} and the formatting type character will
22075 @dfn{pad} the output so that it is always at least that long.
22076 @samp{%5y} will make the field always (at least) five characters wide by
22077 padding with spaces to the left. If you say @samp{%-5y}, it will pad to
22080 You may also wish to limit the length of the field to protect against
22081 particularly wide values. For that you can say @samp{%4,6y}, which
22082 means that the field will never be more than 6 characters wide and never
22083 less than 4 characters wide.
22085 Also Gnus supports some extended format specifications, such as
22086 @samp{%&user-date;}.
22089 @node Mode Line Formatting
22090 @subsection Mode Line Formatting
22092 Mode line formatting variables (e.g.,
22093 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}) follow the same rules as other,
22094 buffer line oriented formatting variables (@pxref{Formatting Basics})
22095 with the following two differences:
22100 There must be no newline (@samp{\n}) at the end.
22103 The special @samp{%%b} spec can be used to display the buffer name.
22104 Well, it's no spec at all, really---@samp{%%} is just a way to quote
22105 @samp{%} to allow it to pass through the formatting machinery unmangled,
22106 so that Emacs receives @samp{%b}, which is something the Emacs mode line
22107 display interprets to mean ``show the buffer name''. For a full list of
22108 mode line specs Emacs understands, see the documentation of the
22109 @code{mode-line-format} variable.
22114 @node Advanced Formatting
22115 @subsection Advanced Formatting
22117 It is frequently useful to post-process the fields in some way.
22118 Padding, limiting, cutting off parts and suppressing certain values can
22119 be achieved by using @dfn{tilde modifiers}. A typical tilde spec might
22120 look like @samp{%~(cut 3)~(ignore "0")y}.
22122 These are the valid modifiers:
22127 Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required
22131 Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required
22136 Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length.
22139 Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified
22144 Cut off the specified number of characters from the left.
22147 Cut off the specified number of characters from the right.
22150 Return an empty string if the field is equal to the specified value.
22153 Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
22159 "~(form (current-time-string))@@"
22164 Let's take an example. The @samp{%o} spec in the summary mode lines
22165 will return a date in compact ISO8601 format---@samp{19960809T230410}.
22166 This is quite a mouthful, so we want to shave off the century number and
22167 the time, leaving us with a six-character date. That would be
22168 @samp{%~(cut-left 2)~(max-right 6)~(pad 6)o}. (Cutting is done before
22169 maxing, and we need the padding to ensure that the date is never less
22170 than 6 characters to make it look nice in columns.)
22172 Ignoring is done first; then cutting; then maxing; and then as the very
22173 last operation, padding.
22175 If you use lots of these advanced thingies, you'll find that Gnus gets
22176 quite slow. This can be helped enormously by running @kbd{M-x
22177 gnus-compile} when you are satisfied with the look of your lines.
22178 @xref{Compilation}.
22181 @node User-Defined Specs
22182 @subsection User-Defined Specs
22184 All the specs allow for inserting user defined specifiers---@samp{u}.
22185 The next character in the format string should be a letter. Gnus
22186 will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where
22187 @samp{X} is the letter following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed
22188 a single parameter---what the parameter means depends on what buffer
22189 it's being called from. The function should return a string, which will
22190 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
22191 specifier. This function may also be called with dummy values, so it
22192 should protect against that.
22194 Also Gnus supports extended user-defined specs, such as @samp{%u&foo;}.
22195 Gnus will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{foo}.
22197 You can also use tilde modifiers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting} to achieve
22198 much the same without defining new functions. Here's an example:
22199 @samp{%~(form (count-lines (point-min) (point)))@@}. The form
22200 given here will be evaluated to yield the current line number, and then
22204 @node Formatting Fonts
22205 @subsection Formatting Fonts
22207 There are specs for highlighting, and these are shared by all the format
22208 variables. Text inside the @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} specifiers will get
22209 the special @code{mouse-face} property set, which means that it will be
22210 highlighted (with @code{gnus-mouse-face}) when you put the mouse pointer
22213 Text inside the @samp{%@{} and @samp{%@}} specifiers will have their
22214 normal faces set using @code{gnus-face-0}, which is @code{bold} by
22215 default. If you say @samp{%1@{}, you'll get @code{gnus-face-1} instead,
22216 and so on. Create as many faces as you wish. The same goes for the
22217 @code{mouse-face} specs---you can say @samp{%3(hello%)} to have
22218 @samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
22220 Text inside the @samp{%<<} and @samp{%>>} specifiers will get the
22221 special @code{balloon-help} property set to
22222 @code{gnus-balloon-face-0}. If you say @samp{%1<<}, you'll get
22223 @code{gnus-balloon-face-1} and so on. The @code{gnus-balloon-face-*}
22224 variables should be either strings or symbols naming functions that
22225 return a string. When the mouse passes over text with this property
22226 set, a balloon window will appear and display the string. Please
22227 refer to @ref{Tooltips, ,Tooltips, emacs, The Emacs Manual},
22228 (in GNU Emacs) or the doc string of @code{balloon-help-mode} (in
22229 XEmacs) for more information on this. (For technical reasons, the
22230 guillemets have been approximated as @samp{<<} and @samp{>>} in this
22233 Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
22236 ;; @r{Create three face types.}
22237 (setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
22238 (setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
22240 ;; @r{We want the article count to be in}
22241 ;; @r{a bold and green face. So we create}
22242 ;; @r{a new face called @code{my-green-bold}.}
22243 (copy-face 'bold 'my-green-bold)
22244 ;; @r{Set the color.}
22245 (set-face-foreground 'my-green-bold "ForestGreen")
22246 (setq gnus-face-2 'my-green-bold)
22248 ;; @r{Set the new & fancy format.}
22249 (setq gnus-group-line-format
22250 "%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
22253 I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable
22254 and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun!
22256 Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
22257 mode-line variables.
22259 @node Positioning Point
22260 @subsection Positioning Point
22262 Gnus usually moves point to a pre-defined place on each line in most
22263 buffers. By default, point move to the first colon character on the
22264 line. You can customize this behavior in three different ways.
22266 You can move the colon character to somewhere else on the line.
22268 @findex gnus-goto-colon
22269 You can redefine the function that moves the point to the colon. The
22270 function is called @code{gnus-goto-colon}.
22272 But perhaps the most convenient way to deal with this, if you don't want
22273 to have a colon in your line, is to use the @samp{%*} specifier. If you
22274 put a @samp{%*} somewhere in your format line definition, Gnus will
22279 @subsection Tabulation
22281 You can usually line up your displays by padding and cutting your
22282 strings. However, when combining various strings of different size, it
22283 can often be more convenient to just output the strings, and then worry
22284 about lining up the following text afterwards.
22286 To do that, Gnus supplies tabulator specs---@samp{%=}. There are two
22287 different types---@dfn{hard tabulators} and @dfn{soft tabulators}.
22289 @samp{%50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
22290 50. If the text is already past column 50, nothing will be inserted.
22291 This is the soft tabulator.
22293 @samp{%-50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
22294 50. If the text is already past column 50, the excess text past column
22295 50 will be removed. This is the hard tabulator.
22298 @node Wide Characters
22299 @subsection Wide Characters
22301 Fixed width fonts in most countries have characters of the same width.
22302 Some countries, however, use Latin characters mixed with wider
22303 characters---most notable East Asian countries.
22305 The problem is that when formatting, Gnus assumes that if a string is 10
22306 characters wide, it'll be 10 Latin characters wide on the screen. In
22307 these countries, that's not true.
22309 @vindex gnus-use-correct-string-widths
22310 To help fix this, you can set @code{gnus-use-correct-string-widths} to
22311 @code{t}. This makes buffer generation slower, but the results will be
22312 prettier. The default value under XEmacs is @code{t} but @code{nil}
22316 @node Window Layout
22317 @section Window Layout
22318 @cindex window layout
22320 No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
22322 @vindex gnus-use-full-window
22323 If @code{gnus-use-full-window} non-@code{nil}, Gnus will delete all
22324 other windows and occupy the entire Emacs screen by itself. It is
22325 @code{t} by default.
22327 Setting this variable to @code{nil} kinda works, but there are
22328 glitches. Use at your own peril.
22330 @vindex gnus-buffer-configuration
22331 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} describes how much space each Gnus
22332 buffer should be given. Here's an excerpt of this variable:
22335 ((group (vertical 1.0 (group 1.0 point)
22336 (if gnus-carpal (group-carpal 4))))
22337 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
22341 This is an alist. The @dfn{key} is a symbol that names some action or
22342 other. For instance, when displaying the group buffer, the window
22343 configuration function will use @code{group} as the key. A full list of
22344 possible names is listed below.
22346 The @dfn{value} (i.e., the @dfn{split}) says how much space each buffer
22347 should occupy. To take the @code{article} split as an example -
22350 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
22354 This @dfn{split} says that the summary buffer should occupy 25% of upper
22355 half of the screen, and that it is placed over the article buffer. As
22356 you may have noticed, 100% + 25% is actually 125% (yup, I saw y'all
22357 reaching for that calculator there). However, the special number
22358 @code{1.0} is used to signal that this buffer should soak up all the
22359 rest of the space available after the rest of the buffers have taken
22360 whatever they need. There should be only one buffer with the @code{1.0}
22361 size spec per split.
22363 Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element
22364 @code{point}. In a @code{frame} split, the last subsplit having a leaf
22365 split where the tag @code{frame-focus} is a member (i.e. is the third or
22366 fourth element in the list, depending on whether the @code{point} tag is
22367 present) gets focus.
22369 Here's a more complicated example:
22372 (article (vertical 1.0 (group 4)
22373 (summary 0.25 point)
22374 (if gnus-carpal (summary-carpal 4))
22378 If the size spec is an integer instead of a floating point number,
22379 then that number will be used to say how many lines a buffer should
22380 occupy, not a percentage.
22382 If the @dfn{split} looks like something that can be @code{eval}ed (to be
22383 precise---if the @code{car} of the split is a function or a subr), this
22384 split will be @code{eval}ed. If the result is non-@code{nil}, it will
22385 be used as a split. This means that there will be three buffers if
22386 @code{gnus-carpal} is @code{nil}, and four buffers if @code{gnus-carpal}
22389 Not complicated enough for you? Well, try this on for size:
22392 (article (horizontal 1.0
22397 (summary 0.25 point)
22402 Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
22403 @code{horizontal} thingie?
22405 If the first element in one of the split is @code{horizontal}, Gnus will
22406 split the window horizontally, giving you two windows side-by-side.
22407 Inside each of these strips you may carry on all you like in the normal
22408 fashion. The number following @code{horizontal} says what percentage of
22409 the screen is to be given to this strip.
22411 For each split, there @emph{must} be one element that has the 100% tag.
22412 The splitting is never accurate, and this buffer will eat any leftover
22413 lines from the splits.
22415 To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a valid split
22420 split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
22421 frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
22422 horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
22423 vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
22424 buffer = "(" buf-name " " size *[ "point" ] *[ "frame-focus"] ")"
22425 size = number | frame-params
22426 buf-name = group | article | summary ...
22430 The limitations are that the @code{frame} split can only appear as the
22431 top-level split. @var{form} should be an Emacs Lisp form that should
22432 return a valid split. We see that each split is fully recursive, and
22433 may contain any number of @code{vertical} and @code{horizontal} splits.
22435 @vindex gnus-window-min-width
22436 @vindex gnus-window-min-height
22437 @cindex window height
22438 @cindex window width
22439 Finding the right sizes can be a bit complicated. No window may be less
22440 than @code{gnus-window-min-height} (default 1) characters high, and all
22441 windows must be at least @code{gnus-window-min-width} (default 1)
22442 characters wide. Gnus will try to enforce this before applying the
22443 splits. If you want to use the normal Emacs window width/height limit,
22444 you can just set these two variables to @code{nil}.
22446 If you're not familiar with Emacs terminology, @code{horizontal} and
22447 @code{vertical} splits may work the opposite way of what you'd expect.
22448 Windows inside a @code{horizontal} split are shown side-by-side, and
22449 windows within a @code{vertical} split are shown above each other.
22451 @findex gnus-configure-frame
22452 If you want to experiment with window placement, a good tip is to call
22453 @code{gnus-configure-frame} directly with a split. This is the function
22454 that does all the real work when splitting buffers. Below is a pretty
22455 nonsensical configuration with 5 windows; two for the group buffer and
22456 three for the article buffer. (I said it was nonsensical.) If you
22457 @code{eval} the statement below, you can get an idea of how that would
22458 look straight away, without going through the normal Gnus channels.
22459 Play with it until you're satisfied, and then use
22460 @code{gnus-add-configuration} to add your new creation to the buffer
22461 configuration list.
22464 (gnus-configure-frame
22468 (article 0.3 point))
22476 You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the
22477 @code{frame} split:
22480 (gnus-configure-frame
22483 (summary 0.25 point frame-focus)
22485 (vertical ((height . 5) (width . 15)
22486 (user-position . t)
22487 (left . -1) (top . 1))
22492 This split will result in the familiar summary/article window
22493 configuration in the first (or ``main'') frame, while a small additional
22494 frame will be created where picons will be shown. As you can see,
22495 instead of the normal @code{1.0} top-level spec, each additional split
22496 should have a frame parameter alist as the size spec.
22497 @xref{Frame Parameters, , Frame Parameters, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
22498 Reference Manual}. Under XEmacs, a frame property list will be
22499 accepted, too---for instance, @code{(height 5 width 15 left -1 top 1)}
22501 The list of all possible keys for @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} can
22502 be found in its default value.
22504 Note that the @code{message} key is used for both
22505 @code{gnus-group-mail} and @code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}. If
22506 it is desirable to distinguish between the two, something like this
22510 (message (horizontal 1.0
22511 (vertical 1.0 (message 1.0 point))
22513 (if (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer)
22518 One common desire for a multiple frame split is to have a separate frame
22519 for composing mail and news while leaving the original frame intact. To
22520 accomplish that, something like the following can be done:
22525 (if (not (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer))
22526 (car (cdr (assoc 'group gnus-buffer-configuration)))
22527 (car (cdr (assoc 'summary gnus-buffer-configuration))))
22528 (vertical ((user-position . t) (top . 1) (left . 1)
22529 (name . "Message"))
22530 (message 1.0 point))))
22533 @findex gnus-add-configuration
22534 Since the @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} variable is so long and
22535 complicated, there's a function you can use to ease changing the config
22536 of a single setting: @code{gnus-add-configuration}. If, for instance,
22537 you want to change the @code{article} setting, you could say:
22540 (gnus-add-configuration
22541 '(article (vertical 1.0
22543 (summary .25 point)
22547 You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your
22548 @file{~/.gnus.el} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
22549 Gnus has been loaded.
22551 @vindex gnus-always-force-window-configuration
22552 If all windows mentioned in the configuration are already visible, Gnus
22553 won't change the window configuration. If you always want to force the
22554 ``right'' window configuration, you can set
22555 @code{gnus-always-force-window-configuration} to non-@code{nil}.
22557 If you're using tree displays (@pxref{Tree Display}), and the tree
22558 window is displayed vertically next to another window, you may also want
22559 to fiddle with @code{gnus-tree-minimize-window} to avoid having the
22562 @subsection Example Window Configurations
22566 Narrow left hand side occupied by group buffer. Right hand side split
22567 between summary buffer (top one-sixth) and article buffer (bottom).
22582 (gnus-add-configuration
22585 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
22587 (summary 0.16 point)
22590 (gnus-add-configuration
22593 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
22594 (vertical 1.0 (summary 1.0 point)))))
22600 @node Faces and Fonts
22601 @section Faces and Fonts
22606 Fiddling with fonts and faces used to be very difficult, but these days
22607 it is very simple. You simply say @kbd{M-x customize-face}, pick out
22608 the face you want to alter, and alter it via the standard Customize
22613 @section Compilation
22614 @cindex compilation
22615 @cindex byte-compilation
22617 @findex gnus-compile
22619 Remember all those line format specification variables?
22620 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}, @code{gnus-group-line-format}, and so
22621 on. Now, Gnus will of course heed whatever these variables are, but,
22622 unfortunately, changing them will mean a quite significant slow-down.
22623 (The default values of these variables have byte-compiled functions
22624 associated with them, while the user-generated versions do not, of
22627 To help with this, you can run @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} after you've
22628 fiddled around with the variables and feel that you're (kind of)
22629 satisfied. This will result in the new specs being byte-compiled, and
22630 you'll get top speed again. Gnus will save these compiled specs in the
22631 @file{.newsrc.eld} file. (User-defined functions aren't compiled by
22632 this function, though---you should compile them yourself by sticking
22633 them into the @file{~/.gnus.el} file and byte-compiling that file.)
22637 @section Mode Lines
22640 @vindex gnus-updated-mode-lines
22641 @code{gnus-updated-mode-lines} says what buffers should keep their mode
22642 lines updated. It is a list of symbols. Supported symbols include
22643 @code{group}, @code{article}, @code{summary}, @code{server},
22644 @code{browse}, and @code{tree}. If the corresponding symbol is present,
22645 Gnus will keep that mode line updated with information that may be
22646 pertinent. If this variable is @code{nil}, screen refresh may be
22649 @cindex display-time
22651 @vindex gnus-mode-non-string-length
22652 By default, Gnus displays information on the current article in the mode
22653 lines of the summary and article buffers. The information Gnus wishes
22654 to display (e.g. the subject of the article) is often longer than the
22655 mode lines, and therefore have to be cut off at some point. The
22656 @code{gnus-mode-non-string-length} variable says how long the other
22657 elements on the line is (i.e., the non-info part). If you put
22658 additional elements on the mode line (e.g. a clock), you should modify
22661 @c Hook written by Francesco Potorti` <pot@cnuce.cnr.it>
22663 (add-hook 'display-time-hook
22664 (lambda () (setq gnus-mode-non-string-length
22666 (if line-number-mode 5 0)
22667 (if column-number-mode 4 0)
22668 (length display-time-string)))))
22671 If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the default), the mode line
22672 strings won't be chopped off, and they won't be padded either. Note
22673 that the default is unlikely to be desirable, as even the percentage
22674 complete in the buffer may be crowded off the mode line; the user should
22675 configure this variable appropriately for her configuration.
22678 @node Highlighting and Menus
22679 @section Highlighting and Menus
22681 @cindex highlighting
22684 @vindex gnus-visual
22685 The @code{gnus-visual} variable controls most of the Gnus-prettifying
22686 aspects. If @code{nil}, Gnus won't attempt to create menus or use fancy
22687 colors or fonts. This will also inhibit loading the @file{gnus-vis.el}
22690 This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
22691 following elements are valid, and are all included by default:
22694 @item group-highlight
22695 Do highlights in the group buffer.
22696 @item summary-highlight
22697 Do highlights in the summary buffer.
22698 @item article-highlight
22699 Do highlights in the article buffer.
22701 Turn on highlighting in all buffers.
22703 Create menus in the group buffer.
22705 Create menus in the summary buffers.
22707 Create menus in the article buffer.
22709 Create menus in the browse buffer.
22711 Create menus in the server buffer.
22713 Create menus in the score buffers.
22715 Create menus in all buffers.
22718 So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all
22719 buffers, you could say something like:
22722 (setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
22725 If you want highlighting only and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
22728 (setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
22731 If @code{gnus-visual} is @code{t}, highlighting and menus will be used
22732 in all Gnus buffers.
22734 Other general variables that influence the look of all buffers include:
22737 @item gnus-mouse-face
22738 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
22739 This is the face (i.e., font) used for mouse highlighting in Gnus. No
22740 mouse highlights will be done if @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
22744 There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
22748 @item gnus-article-menu-hook
22749 @vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
22750 Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
22752 @item gnus-group-menu-hook
22753 @vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
22754 Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
22756 @item gnus-summary-menu-hook
22757 @vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
22758 Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
22760 @item gnus-server-menu-hook
22761 @vindex gnus-server-menu-hook
22762 Hook called after creating the server mode menu.
22764 @item gnus-browse-menu-hook
22765 @vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook
22766 Hook called after creating the browse mode menu.
22768 @item gnus-score-menu-hook
22769 @vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
22770 Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
22781 Those new-fangled @dfn{mouse} contraptions is very popular with the
22782 young, hep kids who don't want to learn the proper way to do things
22783 these days. Why, I remember way back in the summer of '89, when I was
22784 using Emacs on a Tops 20 system. Three hundred users on one single
22785 machine, and every user was running Simula compilers. Bah!
22789 @vindex gnus-carpal
22790 Well, you can make Gnus display bufferfuls of buttons you can click to
22791 do anything by setting @code{gnus-carpal} to @code{t}. Pretty simple,
22792 really. Tell the chiropractor I sent you.
22797 @item gnus-carpal-mode-hook
22798 @vindex gnus-carpal-mode-hook
22799 Hook run in all carpal mode buffers.
22801 @item gnus-carpal-button-face
22802 @vindex gnus-carpal-button-face
22803 Face used on buttons.
22805 @item gnus-carpal-header-face
22806 @vindex gnus-carpal-header-face
22807 Face used on carpal buffer headers.
22809 @item gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
22810 @vindex gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
22811 Buttons in the group buffer.
22813 @item gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
22814 @vindex gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
22815 Buttons in the summary buffer.
22817 @item gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
22818 @vindex gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
22819 Buttons in the server buffer.
22821 @item gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
22822 @vindex gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
22823 Buttons in the browse buffer.
22826 All the @code{buttons} variables are lists. The elements in these list
22827 are either cons cells where the @code{car} contains a text to be displayed and
22828 the @code{cdr} contains a function symbol, or a simple string.
22836 Gnus, being larger than any program ever written (allegedly), does lots
22837 of strange stuff that you may wish to have done while you're not
22838 present. For instance, you may want it to check for new mail once in a
22839 while. Or you may want it to close down all connections to all servers
22840 when you leave Emacs idle. And stuff like that.
22842 Gnus will let you do stuff like that by defining various
22843 @dfn{handlers}. Each handler consists of three elements: A
22844 @var{function}, a @var{time}, and an @var{idle} parameter.
22846 Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has
22847 been idle for thirty minutes:
22850 (gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
22853 Here's a handler that scans for @acronym{PGP} headers every hour when
22857 (gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
22860 This @var{time} parameter and that @var{idle} parameter work together
22861 in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is
22862 @code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
22864 If @var{idle} is @code{t}, then the function will be called after
22865 @var{time} minutes only if Emacs is idle. So if Emacs is never idle,
22866 the function will never be called. But once Emacs goes idle, the
22867 function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
22869 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is a number, the function will
22870 be called every @var{time} minutes only when Emacs has been idle for
22871 @var{idle} minutes.
22873 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is @code{nil}, the function
22874 will be called once every time Emacs has been idle for @var{idle}
22877 And if @var{time} is a string, it should look like @samp{07:31}, and
22878 the function will then be called once every day somewhere near that
22879 time. Modified by the @var{idle} parameter, of course.
22881 @vindex gnus-demon-timestep
22882 (When I say ``minute'' here, I really mean @code{gnus-demon-timestep}
22883 seconds. This is 60 by default. If you change that variable,
22884 all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
22886 So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
22887 your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
22889 @findex gnus-demon-add-handler
22891 (gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections 30 t)
22894 @findex gnus-demon-add-nocem
22895 @findex gnus-demon-add-scanmail
22896 @findex gnus-demon-add-rescan
22897 @findex gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps
22898 @findex gnus-demon-add-disconnection
22899 Some ready-made functions to do this have been created:
22900 @code{gnus-demon-add-nocem}, @code{gnus-demon-add-disconnection},
22901 @code{gnus-demon-add-nntp-close-connection},
22902 @code{gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps}, @code{gnus-demon-add-rescan}, and
22903 @code{gnus-demon-add-scanmail}. Just put those functions in your
22904 @file{~/.gnus.el} if you want those abilities.
22906 @findex gnus-demon-init
22907 @findex gnus-demon-cancel
22908 @vindex gnus-demon-handlers
22909 If you add handlers to @code{gnus-demon-handlers} directly, you should
22910 run @code{gnus-demon-init} to make the changes take hold. To cancel all
22911 daemons, you can use the @code{gnus-demon-cancel} function.
22913 Note that adding daemons can be pretty naughty if you over do it. Adding
22914 functions that scan all news and mail from all servers every two seconds
22915 is a sure-fire way of getting booted off any respectable system. So
22924 @dfn{Spamming} is posting the same article lots and lots of times.
22925 Spamming is bad. Spamming is evil.
22927 Spamming is usually canceled within a day or so by various anti-spamming
22928 agencies. These agencies usually also send out @dfn{NoCeM} messages.
22929 NoCeM is pronounced ``no see-'em'', and means what the name
22930 implies---these are messages that make the offending articles, like, go
22933 What use are these NoCeM messages if the articles are canceled anyway?
22934 Some sites do not honor cancel messages and some sites just honor cancels
22935 from a select few people. Then you may wish to make use of the NoCeM
22936 messages, which are distributed in the @samp{alt.nocem.misc} newsgroup.
22938 Gnus can read and parse the messages in this group automatically, and
22939 this will make spam disappear.
22941 There are some variables to customize, of course:
22944 @item gnus-use-nocem
22945 @vindex gnus-use-nocem
22946 Set this variable to @code{t} to set the ball rolling. It is @code{nil}
22949 You can also set this variable to a positive number as a group level.
22950 In that case, Gnus scans NoCeM messages when checking new news if this
22951 value is not exceeding a group level that you specify as the prefix
22952 argument to some commands, e.g. @code{gnus},
22953 @code{gnus-group-get-new-news}, etc. Otherwise, Gnus does not scan
22954 NoCeM messages if you specify a group level to those commands. For
22955 example, if you use 1 or 2 on the mail groups and the levels on the news
22956 groups remain the default, 3 is the best choice.
22958 @item gnus-nocem-groups
22959 @vindex gnus-nocem-groups
22960 Gnus will look for NoCeM messages in the groups in this list. The
22963 ("news.lists.filters" "news.admin.net-abuse.bulletins"
22964 "alt.nocem.misc" "news.admin.net-abuse.announce")
22967 @item gnus-nocem-issuers
22968 @vindex gnus-nocem-issuers
22969 There are many people issuing NoCeM messages. This list says what
22970 people you want to listen to. The default is
22972 ("Automoose-1" "clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca"
22973 "cosmo.roadkill" "SpamHippo" "hweede@@snafu.de")
22975 fine, upstanding citizens all of them.
22977 Known despammers that you can put in this list are listed at@*
22978 @uref{http://www.xs4all.nl/~rosalind/nocemreg/nocemreg.html}.
22980 You do not have to heed NoCeM messages from all these people---just the
22981 ones you want to listen to. You also don't have to accept all NoCeM
22982 messages from the people you like. Each NoCeM message has a @dfn{type}
22983 header that gives the message a (more or less, usually less) rigorous
22984 definition. Common types are @samp{spam}, @samp{spew}, @samp{mmf},
22985 @samp{binary}, and @samp{troll}. To specify this, you have to use
22986 @code{(@var{issuer} @var{conditions} @dots{})} elements in the list.
22987 Each condition is either a string (which is a regexp that matches types
22988 you want to use) or a list on the form @code{(not @var{string})}, where
22989 @var{string} is a regexp that matches types you don't want to use.
22991 For instance, if you want all NoCeM messages from Chris Lewis except his
22992 @samp{troll} messages, you'd say:
22995 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" ".*" (not "troll"))
22998 On the other hand, if you just want nothing but his @samp{spam} and
22999 @samp{spew} messages, you'd say:
23002 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" (not ".*") "spew" "spam")
23005 The specs are applied left-to-right.
23008 @item gnus-nocem-verifyer
23009 @vindex gnus-nocem-verifyer
23011 This should be a function for verifying that the NoCeM issuer is who she
23012 says she is. The default is @code{pgg-verify}, which returns
23013 non-@code{nil} if the verification is successful, otherwise (including
23014 the case the NoCeM message was not signed) returns @code{nil}. If this
23015 is too slow and you don't care for verification (which may be dangerous),
23016 you can set this variable to @code{nil}.
23018 Formerly the default was @code{mc-verify}, which is a Mailcrypt
23019 function. While you can still use it, you can change it into
23020 @code{pgg-verify} running with GnuPG if you are willing to add the
23021 @acronym{PGP} public keys to GnuPG's keyring.
23023 @item gnus-nocem-directory
23024 @vindex gnus-nocem-directory
23025 This is where Gnus will store its NoCeM cache files. The default is@*
23026 @file{~/News/NoCeM/}.
23028 @item gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
23029 @vindex gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
23030 The number of days before removing old NoCeM entries from the cache.
23031 The default is 15. If you make it shorter Gnus will be faster, but you
23032 might then see old spam.
23034 @item gnus-nocem-check-from
23035 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-from
23036 Non-@code{nil} means check for valid issuers in message bodies.
23037 Otherwise don't bother fetching articles unless their author matches a
23038 valid issuer; that is much faster if you are selective about the
23041 @item gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
23042 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
23043 If non-@code{nil}, the maximum number of articles to check in any NoCeM
23044 group. NoCeM groups can be huge and very slow to process.
23048 Using NoCeM could potentially be a memory hog. If you have many living
23049 (i. e., subscribed or unsubscribed groups), your Emacs process will grow
23050 big. If this is a problem, you should kill off all (or most) of your
23051 unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Subscription Commands}).
23058 It is very useful to be able to undo actions one has done. In normal
23059 Emacs buffers, it's easy enough---you just push the @code{undo} button.
23060 In Gnus buffers, however, it isn't that simple.
23062 The things Gnus displays in its buffer is of no value whatsoever to
23063 Gnus---it's all just data designed to look nice to the user.
23064 Killing a group in the group buffer with @kbd{C-k} makes the line
23065 disappear, but that's just a side-effect of the real action---the
23066 removal of the group in question from the internal Gnus structures.
23067 Undoing something like that can't be done by the normal Emacs
23068 @code{undo} function.
23070 Gnus tries to remedy this somewhat by keeping track of what the user
23071 does and coming up with actions that would reverse the actions the user
23072 takes. When the user then presses the @code{undo} key, Gnus will run
23073 the code to reverse the previous action, or the previous actions.
23074 However, not all actions are easily reversible, so Gnus currently offers
23075 a few key functions to be undoable. These include killing groups,
23076 yanking groups, and changing the list of read articles of groups.
23077 That's it, really. More functions may be added in the future, but each
23078 added function means an increase in data to be stored, so Gnus will
23079 never be totally undoable.
23081 @findex gnus-undo-mode
23082 @vindex gnus-use-undo
23084 The undoability is provided by the @code{gnus-undo-mode} minor mode. It
23085 is used if @code{gnus-use-undo} is non-@code{nil}, which is the
23086 default. The @kbd{C-M-_} key performs the @code{gnus-undo}
23087 command, which should feel kinda like the normal Emacs @code{undo}
23091 @node Predicate Specifiers
23092 @section Predicate Specifiers
23093 @cindex predicate specifiers
23095 Some Gnus variables are @dfn{predicate specifiers}. This is a special
23096 form that allows flexible specification of predicates without having
23097 to type all that much.
23099 These specifiers are lists consisting of functions, symbols and lists.
23104 (or gnus-article-unseen-p
23105 gnus-article-unread-p)
23108 The available symbols are @code{or}, @code{and} and @code{not}. The
23109 functions all take one parameter.
23111 @findex gnus-make-predicate
23112 Internally, Gnus calls @code{gnus-make-predicate} on these specifiers
23113 to create a function that can be called. This input parameter to this
23114 function will be passed along to all the functions in the predicate
23119 @section Moderation
23122 If you are a moderator, you can use the @file{gnus-mdrtn.el} package.
23123 It is not included in the standard Gnus package. Write a mail to
23124 @samp{larsi@@gnus.org} and state what group you moderate, and you'll
23127 The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
23131 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
23134 in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
23136 If you are the moderator of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
23141 You split your incoming mail by matching on
23142 @samp{Newsgroups:.*rec.zoofle}, which will put all the to-be-posted
23143 articles in some mail group---for instance, @samp{nnml:rec.zoofle}.
23146 You enter that group once in a while and post articles using the @kbd{e}
23147 (edit-and-post) or @kbd{s} (just send unedited) commands.
23150 If, while reading the @samp{rec.zoofle} newsgroup, you happen upon some
23151 articles that weren't approved by you, you can cancel them with the
23155 To use moderation mode in these two groups, say:
23158 (setq gnus-moderated-list
23159 "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
23163 @node Fetching a Group
23164 @section Fetching a Group
23165 @cindex fetching a group
23167 @findex gnus-fetch-group
23168 It is sometimes convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
23169 group and I don't care whether Gnus has been started or not''. This is
23170 perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
23171 command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
23172 It takes the group name as a parameter.
23175 @node Image Enhancements
23176 @section Image Enhancements
23178 XEmacs, as well as Emacs 21@footnote{Emacs 21 on MS Windows doesn't
23179 support images, Emacs 22 does.} and up, are able to display pictures and
23180 stuff, so Gnus has taken advantage of that.
23183 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
23184 * Face:: Display a funkier, teensier colored image.
23185 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
23186 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
23187 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
23195 @code{X-Face} headers describe a 48x48 pixel black-and-white (1 bit
23196 depth) image that's supposed to represent the author of the message.
23197 It seems to be supported by an ever-growing number of mail and news
23201 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
23202 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
23203 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
23211 Viewing an @code{X-Face} header either requires an Emacs that has
23212 @samp{compface} support (which most XEmacs versions have), or that you
23213 have suitable conversion or display programs installed. If your Emacs
23214 has image support the default action is to display the face before the
23215 @code{From} header. If there's no native @code{X-Face} support, Gnus
23216 will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using external programs
23217 from the @code{pbmplus} package and friends, see below. For XEmacs it's
23218 faster if XEmacs has been compiled with @code{X-Face} support. The
23219 default action under Emacs without image support is to fork off the
23220 @code{display} program.
23222 On a GNU/Linux system, the @code{display} program is included in the
23223 ImageMagick package. For external conversion programs look for packages
23224 with names like @code{netpbm}, @code{libgr-progs} and @code{compface}.
23225 On Windows, you may use the packages @code{netpbm} and @code{compface}
23226 from @url{http://gnuwin32.sourceforge.net}. You need to add the
23227 @code{bin} directory to your @code{PATH} environment variable.
23228 @c In fact only the following DLLs and binaries seem to be required:
23229 @c compface1.dll uncompface.exe libnetpbm10.dll icontopbm.exe
23231 The variable @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} controls which programs
23232 are used to display the @code{X-Face} header. If this variable is a
23233 string, this string will be executed in a sub-shell. If it is a
23234 function, this function will be called with the face as the argument.
23235 If @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which is a regexp) matches the
23236 @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
23238 (Note: @code{x-face} is used in the variable/function names, not
23246 @vindex gnus-x-face
23247 Face to show X-Face. The colors from this face are used as the
23248 foreground and background colors of the displayed X-Faces. The
23249 default colors are black and white.
23251 @item gnus-face-properties-alist
23252 @vindex gnus-face-properties-alist
23253 Alist of image types and properties applied to Face (@pxref{Face}) and
23254 X-Face images. The default value is @code{((pbm . (:face gnus-x-face))
23255 (png . nil))} for Emacs or @code{((xface . (:face gnus-x-face)))} for
23256 XEmacs. Here are examples:
23259 ;; Specify the altitude of Face and X-Face images in the From header.
23260 (setq gnus-face-properties-alist
23261 '((pbm . (:face gnus-x-face :ascent 80))
23262 (png . (:ascent 80))))
23264 ;; Show Face and X-Face images as pressed buttons.
23265 (setq gnus-face-properties-alist
23266 '((pbm . (:face gnus-x-face :relief -2))
23267 (png . (:relief -2))))
23270 @pxref{Image Descriptors, ,Image Descriptors, elisp, The Emacs Lisp
23271 Reference Manual} for the valid properties for various image types.
23272 Currently, @code{pbm} is used for X-Face images and @code{png} is used
23273 for Face images in Emacs. Only the @code{:face} property is effective
23274 on the @code{xface} image type in XEmacs if it is built with the
23275 @samp{libcompface} library.
23278 If you use posting styles, you can use an @code{x-face-file} entry in
23279 @code{gnus-posting-styles}, @xref{Posting Styles}. If you don't, Gnus
23280 provides a few convenience functions and variables to allow easier
23281 insertion of X-Face headers in outgoing messages. You also need the
23282 above mentioned ImageMagick, netpbm or other image conversion packages
23283 (depending the values of the variables below) for these functions.
23285 @findex gnus-random-x-face
23286 @vindex gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command
23287 @vindex gnus-x-face-directory
23288 @code{gnus-random-x-face} goes through all the @samp{pbm} files in
23289 @code{gnus-x-face-directory} and picks one at random, and then
23290 converts it to the X-Face format by using the
23291 @code{gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command} shell command. The
23292 @samp{pbm} files should be 48x48 pixels big. It returns the X-Face
23293 header data as a string.
23295 @findex gnus-insert-random-x-face-header
23296 @code{gnus-insert-random-x-face-header} calls
23297 @code{gnus-random-x-face} and inserts a @samp{X-Face} header with the
23298 randomly generated data.
23300 @findex gnus-x-face-from-file
23301 @vindex gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command
23302 @code{gnus-x-face-from-file} takes a GIF file as the parameter, and then
23303 converts the file to X-Face format by using the
23304 @code{gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command} shell command.
23306 Here's how you would typically use the first function. Put something
23307 like the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
23310 (setq message-required-news-headers
23311 (nconc message-required-news-headers
23312 (list '(X-Face . gnus-random-x-face))))
23315 Using the last function would be something like this:
23318 (setq message-required-news-headers
23319 (nconc message-required-news-headers
23320 (list '(X-Face . (lambda ()
23321 (gnus-x-face-from-file
23322 "~/My-face.gif"))))))
23330 @c #### FIXME: faces and x-faces' implementations should really be harmonized.
23332 @code{Face} headers are essentially a funkier version of @code{X-Face}
23333 ones. They describe a 48x48 pixel colored image that's supposed to
23334 represent the author of the message.
23337 @findex gnus-article-display-face
23338 The contents of a @code{Face} header must be a base64 encoded PNG image.
23339 See @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/circus/face/} for the precise
23342 The @code{gnus-face-properties-alist} variable affects the appearance of
23343 displayed Face images. @xref{X-Face}.
23345 Viewing an @code{Face} header requires an Emacs that is able to display
23348 @c (if (featurep 'xemacs)
23350 @c (image-type-available-p 'png))
23352 Gnus provides a few convenience functions and variables to allow
23353 easier insertion of Face headers in outgoing messages.
23355 @findex gnus-convert-png-to-face
23356 @code{gnus-convert-png-to-face} takes a 48x48 PNG image, no longer than
23357 726 bytes long, and converts it to a face.
23359 @findex gnus-face-from-file
23360 @vindex gnus-convert-image-to-face-command
23361 @code{gnus-face-from-file} takes a JPEG file as the parameter, and then
23362 converts the file to Face format by using the
23363 @code{gnus-convert-image-to-face-command} shell command.
23365 Here's how you would typically use this function. Put something like the
23366 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
23369 (setq message-required-news-headers
23370 (nconc message-required-news-headers
23371 (list '(Face . (lambda ()
23372 (gnus-face-from-file "~/face.jpg"))))))
23377 @subsection Smileys
23382 \gnusfig{-3cm}{0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/BigFace,height=20cm}}
23387 @dfn{Smiley} is a package separate from Gnus, but since Gnus is
23388 currently the only package that uses Smiley, it is documented here.
23390 In short---to use Smiley in Gnus, put the following in your
23391 @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
23394 (setq gnus-treat-display-smileys t)
23397 Smiley maps text smiley faces---@samp{:-)}, @samp{8-)}, @samp{:-(} and
23398 the like---to pictures and displays those instead of the text smiley
23399 faces. The conversion is controlled by a list of regexps that matches
23400 text and maps that to file names.
23402 @vindex smiley-regexp-alist
23403 The alist used is specified by the @code{smiley-regexp-alist}
23404 variable. The first item in each element is the regexp to be matched;
23405 the second element is the regexp match group that is to be replaced by
23406 the picture; and the third element is the name of the file to be
23409 The following variables customize where Smiley will look for these
23414 @item smiley-data-directory
23415 @vindex smiley-data-directory
23416 Where Smiley will look for smiley faces files.
23418 @item gnus-smiley-file-types
23419 @vindex gnus-smiley-file-types
23420 List of suffixes on smiley file names to try.
23434 So@dots{} You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
23435 good way to do so. It's also a great way to impress people staring
23436 over your shoulder as you read news.
23438 What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
23447 @dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
23448 constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
23449 organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
23450 e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
23451 databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
23452 in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
23453 @code{GIF} formats.
23456 @vindex gnus-picon-databases
23457 For instructions on obtaining and installing the picons databases,
23458 point your Web browser at
23459 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}.
23461 If you are using Debian GNU/Linux, saying @samp{apt-get install
23462 picons.*} will install the picons where Gnus can find them.
23464 To enable displaying picons, simply make sure that
23465 @code{gnus-picon-databases} points to the directory containing the
23468 @vindex gnus-picon-style
23469 The variable @code{gnus-picon-style} controls how picons are displayed.
23470 If @code{inline}, the textual representation is replaced. If
23471 @code{right}, picons are added right to the textual representation.
23473 The following variables offer control over where things are located.
23477 @item gnus-picon-databases
23478 @vindex gnus-picon-databases
23479 The location of the picons database. This is a list of directories
23480 containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
23481 subdirectories. Defaults to @code{("/usr/lib/picon"
23482 "/usr/local/faces")}.
23484 @item gnus-picon-news-directories
23485 @vindex gnus-picon-news-directories
23486 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for
23487 newsgroups faces. @code{("news")} is the default.
23489 @item gnus-picon-user-directories
23490 @vindex gnus-picon-user-directories
23491 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for user
23492 faces. @code{("users" "usenix" "local" "misc")} is the default.
23494 @item gnus-picon-domain-directories
23495 @vindex gnus-picon-domain-directories
23496 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for
23497 domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
23498 want to add @samp{"unknown"} to this list.
23500 @item gnus-picon-file-types
23501 @vindex gnus-picon-file-types
23502 Ordered list of suffixes on picon file names to try. Defaults to
23503 @code{("xpm" "gif" "xbm")} minus those not built-in your Emacs.
23509 @subsection Various XEmacs Variables
23512 @item gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
23513 @vindex gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
23514 This is where Gnus will look for pictures. Gnus will normally
23515 auto-detect this directory, but you may set it manually if you have an
23516 unusual directory structure.
23518 @item gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
23519 @vindex gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
23520 A glyph displayed in all Gnus mode lines. It is a tiny gnu head by
23525 @subsubsection Toolbar
23529 @item gnus-use-toolbar
23530 @vindex gnus-use-toolbar
23531 This variable specifies the position to display the toolbar. If
23532 @code{nil}, don't display toolbars. If it is non-@code{nil}, it should
23533 be one of the symbols @code{default}, @code{top}, @code{bottom},
23534 @code{right}, and @code{left}. @code{default} means to use the default
23535 toolbar, the rest mean to display the toolbar on the place which those
23536 names show. The default is @code{default}.
23538 @item gnus-toolbar-thickness
23539 @vindex gnus-toolbar-thickness
23540 Cons of the height and the width specifying the thickness of a toolbar.
23541 The height is used for the toolbar displayed on the top or the bottom,
23542 the width is used for the toolbar displayed on the right or the left.
23543 The default is that of the default toolbar.
23545 @item gnus-group-toolbar
23546 @vindex gnus-group-toolbar
23547 The toolbar in the group buffer.
23549 @item gnus-summary-toolbar
23550 @vindex gnus-summary-toolbar
23551 The toolbar in the summary buffer.
23553 @item gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
23554 @vindex gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
23555 The toolbar in the summary buffer of mail groups.
23566 @node Fuzzy Matching
23567 @section Fuzzy Matching
23568 @cindex fuzzy matching
23570 Gnus provides @dfn{fuzzy matching} of @code{Subject} lines when doing
23571 things like scoring, thread gathering and thread comparison.
23573 As opposed to regular expression matching, fuzzy matching is very fuzzy.
23574 It's so fuzzy that there's not even a definition of what @dfn{fuzziness}
23575 means, and the implementation has changed over time.
23577 Basically, it tries to remove all noise from lines before comparing.
23578 @samp{Re: }, parenthetical remarks, white space, and so on, are filtered
23579 out of the strings before comparing the results. This often leads to
23580 adequate results---even when faced with strings generated by text
23581 manglers masquerading as newsreaders.
23584 @node Thwarting Email Spam
23585 @section Thwarting Email Spam
23589 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
23591 In these last days of the Usenet, commercial vultures are hanging about
23592 and grepping through news like crazy to find email addresses they can
23593 foist off their scams and products to. As a reaction to this, many
23594 people have started putting nonsense addresses into their @code{From}
23595 lines. I think this is counterproductive---it makes it difficult for
23596 people to send you legitimate mail in response to things you write, as
23597 well as making it difficult to see who wrote what. This rewriting may
23598 perhaps be a bigger menace than the unsolicited commercial email itself
23601 The biggest problem I have with email spam is that it comes in under
23602 false pretenses. I press @kbd{g} and Gnus merrily informs me that I
23603 have 10 new emails. I say ``Golly gee! Happy is me!'' and select the
23604 mail group, only to find two pyramid schemes, seven advertisements
23605 (``New! Miracle tonic for growing full, lustrous hair on your toes!'')
23606 and one mail asking me to repent and find some god.
23608 This is annoying. Here's what you can do about it.
23611 * The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
23612 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
23613 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
23614 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
23617 @node The problem of spam
23618 @subsection The problem of spam
23620 @cindex spam filtering approaches
23621 @cindex filtering approaches, spam
23623 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
23625 First, some background on spam.
23627 If you have access to e-mail, you are familiar with spam (technically
23628 termed @acronym{UCE}, Unsolicited Commercial E-mail). Simply put, it
23629 exists because e-mail delivery is very cheap compared to paper mail,
23630 so only a very small percentage of people need to respond to an UCE to
23631 make it worthwhile to the advertiser. Ironically, one of the most
23632 common spams is the one offering a database of e-mail addresses for
23633 further spamming. Senders of spam are usually called @emph{spammers},
23634 but terms like @emph{vermin}, @emph{scum}, @emph{sociopaths}, and
23635 @emph{morons} are in common use as well.
23637 Spam comes from a wide variety of sources. It is simply impossible to
23638 dispose of all spam without discarding useful messages. A good
23639 example is the TMDA system, which requires senders
23640 unknown to you to confirm themselves as legitimate senders before
23641 their e-mail can reach you. Without getting into the technical side
23642 of TMDA, a downside is clearly that e-mail from legitimate sources may
23643 be discarded if those sources can't or won't confirm themselves
23644 through the TMDA system. Another problem with TMDA is that it
23645 requires its users to have a basic understanding of e-mail delivery
23648 The simplest approach to filtering spam is filtering, at the mail
23649 server or when you sort through incoming mail. If you get 200 spam
23650 messages per day from @samp{random-address@@vmadmin.com}, you block
23651 @samp{vmadmin.com}. If you get 200 messages about @samp{VIAGRA}, you
23652 discard all messages with @samp{VIAGRA} in the message. If you get
23653 lots of spam from Bulgaria, for example, you try to filter all mail
23654 from Bulgarian IPs.
23656 This, unfortunately, is a great way to discard legitimate e-mail. The
23657 risks of blocking a whole country (Bulgaria, Norway, Nigeria, China,
23658 etc.) or even a continent (Asia, Africa, Europe, etc.) from contacting
23659 you should be obvious, so don't do it if you have the choice.
23661 In another instance, the very informative and useful RISKS digest has
23662 been blocked by overzealous mail filters because it @strong{contained}
23663 words that were common in spam messages. Nevertheless, in isolated
23664 cases, with great care, direct filtering of mail can be useful.
23666 Another approach to filtering e-mail is the distributed spam
23667 processing, for instance DCC implements such a system. In essence,
23668 @var{N} systems around the world agree that a machine @var{X} in
23669 Ghana, Estonia, or California is sending out spam e-mail, and these
23670 @var{N} systems enter @var{X} or the spam e-mail from @var{X} into a
23671 database. The criteria for spam detection vary---it may be the number
23672 of messages sent, the content of the messages, and so on. When a user
23673 of the distributed processing system wants to find out if a message is
23674 spam, he consults one of those @var{N} systems.
23676 Distributed spam processing works very well against spammers that send
23677 a large number of messages at once, but it requires the user to set up
23678 fairly complicated checks. There are commercial and free distributed
23679 spam processing systems. Distributed spam processing has its risks as
23680 well. For instance legitimate e-mail senders have been accused of
23681 sending spam, and their web sites and mailing lists have been shut
23682 down for some time because of the incident.
23684 The statistical approach to spam filtering is also popular. It is
23685 based on a statistical analysis of previous spam messages. Usually
23686 the analysis is a simple word frequency count, with perhaps pairs of
23687 words or 3-word combinations thrown into the mix. Statistical
23688 analysis of spam works very well in most of the cases, but it can
23689 classify legitimate e-mail as spam in some cases. It takes time to
23690 run the analysis, the full message must be analyzed, and the user has
23691 to store the database of spam analysis. Statistical analysis on the
23692 server is gaining popularity. This has the advantage of letting the
23693 user Just Read Mail, but has the disadvantage that it's harder to tell
23694 the server that it has misclassified mail.
23696 Fighting spam is not easy, no matter what anyone says. There is no
23697 magic switch that will distinguish Viagra ads from Mom's e-mails.
23698 Even people are having a hard time telling spam apart from non-spam,
23699 because spammers are actively looking to fool us into thinking they
23700 are Mom, essentially. Spamming is irritating, irresponsible, and
23701 idiotic behavior from a bunch of people who think the world owes them
23702 a favor. We hope the following sections will help you in fighting the
23705 @node Anti-Spam Basics
23706 @subsection Anti-Spam Basics
23710 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
23712 One way of dealing with spam is having Gnus split out all spam into a
23713 @samp{spam} mail group (@pxref{Splitting Mail}).
23715 First, pick one (1) valid mail address that you can be reached at, and
23716 put it in your @code{From} header of all your news articles. (I've
23717 chosen @samp{larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no}, but for many addresses on the form
23718 @samp{larsi+usenet@@ifi.uio.no} will be a better choice. Ask your
23719 sysadmin whether your sendmail installation accepts keywords in the local
23720 part of the mail address.)
23723 (setq message-default-news-headers
23724 "From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no>\n")
23727 Then put the following split rule in @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
23728 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
23732 (to "larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no"
23733 (| ("subject" "re:.*" "misc")
23734 ("references" ".*@@.*" "misc")
23739 This says that all mail to this address is suspect, but if it has a
23740 @code{Subject} that starts with a @samp{Re:} or has a @code{References}
23741 header, it's probably ok. All the rest goes to the @samp{spam} group.
23742 (This idea probably comes from Tim Pierce.)
23744 In addition, many mail spammers talk directly to your @acronym{SMTP} server
23745 and do not include your email address explicitly in the @code{To}
23746 header. Why they do this is unknown---perhaps it's to thwart this
23747 thwarting scheme? In any case, this is trivial to deal with---you just
23748 put anything not addressed to you in the @samp{spam} group by ending
23749 your fancy split rule in this way:
23754 (to "larsi" "misc")
23758 In my experience, this will sort virtually everything into the right
23759 group. You still have to check the @samp{spam} group from time to time to
23760 check for legitimate mail, though. If you feel like being a good net
23761 citizen, you can even send off complaints to the proper authorities on
23762 each unsolicited commercial email---at your leisure.
23764 This works for me. It allows people an easy way to contact me (they can
23765 just press @kbd{r} in the usual way), and I'm not bothered at all with
23766 spam. It's a win-win situation. Forging @code{From} headers to point
23767 to non-existent domains is yucky, in my opinion.
23769 Be careful with this approach. Spammers are wise to it.
23773 @subsection SpamAssassin, Vipul's Razor, DCC, etc
23774 @cindex SpamAssassin
23775 @cindex Vipul's Razor
23778 The days where the hints in the previous section were sufficient in
23779 avoiding spam are coming to an end. There are many tools out there
23780 that claim to reduce the amount of spam you get. This section could
23781 easily become outdated fast, as new products replace old, but
23782 fortunately most of these tools seem to have similar interfaces. Even
23783 though this section will use SpamAssassin as an example, it should be
23784 easy to adapt it to most other tools.
23786 Note that this section does not involve the @code{spam.el} package,
23787 which is discussed in the next section. If you don't care for all
23788 the features of @code{spam.el}, you can make do with these simple
23791 If the tool you are using is not installed on the mail server, you
23792 need to invoke it yourself. Ideas on how to use the
23793 @code{:postscript} mail source parameter (@pxref{Mail Source
23794 Specifiers}) follow.
23798 '((file :prescript "formail -bs spamassassin < /var/mail/%u")
23802 "mv %t /tmp/foo; formail -bs spamc < /tmp/foo > %t")))
23805 Once you manage to process your incoming spool somehow, thus making
23806 the mail contain e.g.@: a header indicating it is spam, you are ready to
23807 filter it out. Using normal split methods (@pxref{Splitting Mail}):
23810 (setq nnmail-split-methods '(("spam" "^X-Spam-Flag: YES")
23814 Or using fancy split methods (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
23817 (setq nnmail-split-methods 'nnmail-split-fancy
23818 nnmail-split-fancy '(| ("X-Spam-Flag" "YES" "spam")
23822 Some people might not like the idea of piping the mail through various
23823 programs using a @code{:prescript} (if some program is buggy, you
23824 might lose all mail). If you are one of them, another solution is to
23825 call the external tools during splitting. Example fancy split method:
23828 (setq nnmail-split-fancy '(| (: kevin-spamassassin)
23830 (defun kevin-spamassassin ()
23834 (if (eq 1 (call-process-region (point-min) (point-max)
23835 "spamc" nil nil nil "-c"))
23839 Note that with the nnimap back end, message bodies will not be
23840 downloaded by default. You need to set
23841 @code{nnimap-split-download-body} to @code{t} to do that
23842 (@pxref{Splitting in IMAP}).
23844 That is about it. As some spam is likely to get through anyway, you
23845 might want to have a nifty function to call when you happen to read
23846 spam. And here is the nifty function:
23849 (defun my-gnus-raze-spam ()
23850 "Submit SPAM to Vipul's Razor, then mark it as expirable."
23852 (gnus-summary-show-raw-article)
23853 (gnus-summary-save-in-pipe "razor-report -f -d")
23854 (gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable 1))
23858 @subsection Hashcash
23861 A novel technique to fight spam is to require senders to do something
23862 costly and demonstrably unique for each message they send. This has
23863 the obvious drawback that you cannot rely on everyone in the world
23864 using this technique, since it is not part of the Internet standards,
23865 but it may be useful in smaller communities.
23867 While the tools in the previous section work well in practice, they
23868 work only because the tools are constantly maintained and updated as
23869 new form of spam appears. This means that a small percentage of spam
23870 will always get through. It also means that somewhere, someone needs
23871 to read lots of spam to update these tools. Hashcash avoids that, but
23872 instead prefers that everyone you contact through e-mail supports the
23873 scheme. You can view the two approaches as pragmatic vs dogmatic.
23874 The approaches have their own advantages and disadvantages, but as
23875 often in the real world, a combination of them is stronger than either
23876 one of them separately.
23879 The ``something costly'' is to burn CPU time, more specifically to
23880 compute a hash collision up to a certain number of bits. The
23881 resulting hashcash cookie is inserted in a @samp{X-Hashcash:} header.
23882 For more details, and for the external application @code{hashcash} you
23883 need to install to use this feature, see
23884 @uref{http://www.hashcash.org/}. Even more information can be found
23885 at @uref{http://www.camram.org/}.
23887 If you wish to generate hashcash for each message you send, you can
23888 customize @code{message-generate-hashcash} (@pxref{Mail Headers, ,Mail
23889 Headers,message, The Message Manual}), as in:
23892 (setq message-generate-hashcash t)
23895 You will need to set up some additional variables as well:
23899 @item hashcash-default-payment
23900 @vindex hashcash-default-payment
23901 This variable indicates the default number of bits the hash collision
23902 should consist of. By default this is 20. Suggested useful values
23905 @item hashcash-payment-alist
23906 @vindex hashcash-payment-alist
23907 Some receivers may require you to spend burn more CPU time than the
23908 default. This variable contains a list of @samp{(@var{addr}
23909 @var{amount})} cells, where @var{addr} is the receiver (email address
23910 or newsgroup) and @var{amount} is the number of bits in the collision
23911 that is needed. It can also contain @samp{(@var{addr} @var{string}
23912 @var{amount})} cells, where the @var{string} is the string to use
23913 (normally the email address or newsgroup name is used).
23915 @item hashcash-path
23916 @vindex hashcash-path
23917 Where the @code{hashcash} binary is installed. This variable should
23918 be automatically set by @code{executable-find}, but if it's @code{nil}
23919 (usually because the @code{hashcash} binary is not in your path)
23920 you'll get a warning when you check hashcash payments and an error
23921 when you generate hashcash payments.
23925 Gnus can verify hashcash cookies, although this can also be done by
23926 hand customized mail filtering scripts. To verify a hashcash cookie
23927 in a message, use the @code{mail-check-payment} function in the
23928 @code{hashcash.el} library. You can also use the @code{spam.el}
23929 package with the @code{spam-use-hashcash} back end to validate hashcash
23930 cookies in incoming mail and filter mail accordingly (@pxref{Anti-spam
23931 Hashcash Payments}).
23934 @section Spam Package
23935 @cindex spam filtering
23938 The Spam package provides Gnus with a centralized mechanism for
23939 detecting and filtering spam. It filters new mail, and processes
23940 messages according to whether they are spam or ham. (@dfn{Ham} is the
23941 name used throughout this manual to indicate non-spam messages.)
23944 * Spam Package Introduction::
23945 * Filtering Incoming Mail::
23946 * Detecting Spam in Groups::
23947 * Spam and Ham Processors::
23948 * Spam Package Configuration Examples::
23950 * Extending the Spam package::
23951 * Spam Statistics Package::
23954 @node Spam Package Introduction
23955 @subsection Spam Package Introduction
23956 @cindex spam filtering
23957 @cindex spam filtering sequence of events
23960 You must read this section to understand how the Spam package works.
23961 Do not skip, speed-read, or glance through this section.
23963 Make sure you read the section on the @code{spam.el} sequence of
23964 events. See @xref{Extending the Spam package}.
23966 @cindex spam-initialize
23967 @vindex spam-use-stat
23968 To use the Spam package, you @strong{must} first run the function
23969 @code{spam-initialize}:
23975 This autoloads @code{spam.el} and installs the various hooks necessary
23976 to let the Spam package do its job. In order to make use of the Spam
23977 package, you have to set up certain group parameters and variables,
23978 which we will describe below. All of the variables controlling the
23979 Spam package can be found in the @samp{spam} customization group.
23981 There are two ``contact points'' between the Spam package and the rest
23982 of Gnus: checking new mail for spam, and leaving a group.
23984 Checking new mail for spam is done in one of two ways: while splitting
23985 incoming mail, or when you enter a group.
23987 The first way, checking for spam while splitting incoming mail, is
23988 suited to mail back ends such as @code{nnml} or @code{nnimap}, where
23989 new mail appears in a single spool file. The Spam package processes
23990 incoming mail, and sends mail considered to be spam to a designated
23991 ``spam'' group. @xref{Filtering Incoming Mail}.
23993 The second way is suited to back ends such as @code{nntp}, which have
23994 no incoming mail spool, or back ends where the server is in charge of
23995 splitting incoming mail. In this case, when you enter a Gnus group,
23996 the unseen or unread messages in that group are checked for spam.
23997 Detected spam messages are marked as spam. @xref{Detecting Spam in
24000 @cindex spam back ends
24001 In either case, you have to tell the Spam package what method to use
24002 to detect spam messages. There are several methods, or @dfn{spam back
24003 ends} (not to be confused with Gnus back ends!) to choose from: spam
24004 ``blacklists'' and ``whitelists'', dictionary-based filters, and so
24005 forth. @xref{Spam Back Ends}.
24007 In the Gnus summary buffer, messages that have been identified as spam
24008 always appear with a @samp{$} symbol.
24010 The Spam package divides Gnus groups into three categories: ham
24011 groups, spam groups, and unclassified groups. You should mark each of
24012 the groups you subscribe to as either a ham group or a spam group,
24013 using the @code{spam-contents} group parameter (@pxref{Group
24014 Parameters}). Spam groups have a special property: when you enter a
24015 spam group, all unseen articles are marked as spam. Thus, mail split
24016 into a spam group is automatically marked as spam.
24018 Identifying spam messages is only half of the Spam package's job. The
24019 second half comes into play whenever you exit a group buffer. At this
24020 point, the Spam package does several things:
24022 First, it calls @dfn{spam and ham processors} to process the articles
24023 according to whether they are spam or ham. There is a pair of spam
24024 and ham processors associated with each spam back end, and what the
24025 processors do depends on the back end. At present, the main role of
24026 spam and ham processors is for dictionary-based spam filters: they add
24027 the contents of the messages in the group to the filter's dictionary,
24028 to improve its ability to detect future spam. The @code{spam-process}
24029 group parameter specifies what spam processors to use. @xref{Spam and
24032 If the spam filter failed to mark a spam message, you can mark it
24033 yourself, so that the message is processed as spam when you exit the
24043 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-spam
24044 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-spam
24045 Mark current article as spam, showing it with the @samp{$} mark
24046 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}).
24050 Similarly, you can unmark an article if it has been erroneously marked
24051 as spam. @xref{Setting Marks}.
24053 Normally, a ham message found in a non-ham group is not processed as
24054 ham---the rationale is that it should be moved into a ham group for
24055 further processing (see below). However, you can force these articles
24056 to be processed as ham by setting
24057 @code{spam-process-ham-in-spam-groups} and
24058 @code{spam-process-ham-in-nonham-groups}.
24060 @vindex gnus-ham-process-destinations
24061 @vindex gnus-spam-process-destinations
24062 The second thing that the Spam package does when you exit a group is
24063 to move ham articles out of spam groups, and spam articles out of ham
24064 groups. Ham in a spam group is moved to the group specified by the
24065 variable @code{gnus-ham-process-destinations}, or the group parameter
24066 @code{ham-process-destination}. Spam in a ham group is moved to the
24067 group specified by the variable @code{gnus-spam-process-destinations},
24068 or the group parameter @code{spam-process-destination}. If these
24069 variables are not set, the articles are left in their current group.
24070 If an article cannot be moved (e.g., with a read-only backend such
24071 as @acronym{NNTP}), it is copied.
24073 If an article is moved to another group, it is processed again when
24074 you visit the new group. Normally, this is not a problem, but if you
24075 want each article to be processed only once, load the
24076 @code{gnus-registry.el} package and set the variable
24077 @code{spam-log-to-registry} to @code{t}. @xref{Spam Package
24078 Configuration Examples}.
24080 Normally, spam groups ignore @code{gnus-spam-process-destinations}.
24081 However, if you set @code{spam-move-spam-nonspam-groups-only} to
24082 @code{nil}, spam will also be moved out of spam groups, depending on
24083 the @code{spam-process-destination} parameter.
24085 The final thing the Spam package does is to mark spam articles as
24086 expired, which is usually the right thing to do.
24088 If all this seems confusing, don't worry. Soon it will be as natural
24089 as typing Lisp one-liners on a neural interface@dots{} err, sorry, that's
24090 50 years in the future yet. Just trust us, it's not so bad.
24092 @node Filtering Incoming Mail
24093 @subsection Filtering Incoming Mail
24094 @cindex spam filtering
24095 @cindex spam filtering incoming mail
24098 To use the Spam package to filter incoming mail, you must first set up
24099 fancy mail splitting. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}. The Spam package
24100 defines a special splitting function that you can add to your fancy
24101 split variable (either @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or
24102 @code{nnimap-split-fancy}, depending on your mail back end):
24108 @vindex spam-split-group
24110 The @code{spam-split} function scans incoming mail according to your
24111 chosen spam back end(s), and sends messages identified as spam to a
24112 spam group. By default, the spam group is a group named @samp{spam},
24113 but you can change this by customizing @code{spam-split-group}. Make
24114 sure the contents of @code{spam-split-group} are an unqualified group
24115 name. For instance, in an @code{nnimap} server @samp{your-server},
24116 the value @samp{spam} means @samp{nnimap+your-server:spam}. The value
24117 @samp{nnimap+server:spam} is therefore wrong---it gives the group
24118 @samp{nnimap+your-server:nnimap+server:spam}.
24120 @code{spam-split} does not modify the contents of messages in any way.
24122 @vindex nnimap-split-download-body
24123 Note for IMAP users: if you use the @code{spam-check-bogofilter},
24124 @code{spam-check-ifile}, and @code{spam-check-stat} spam back ends,
24125 you should also set set the variable @code{nnimap-split-download-body}
24126 to @code{t}. These spam back ends are most useful when they can
24127 ``scan'' the full message body. By default, the nnimap back end only
24128 retrieves the message headers; @code{nnimap-split-download-body} tells
24129 it to retrieve the message bodies as well. We don't set this by
24130 default because it will slow @acronym{IMAP} down, and that is not an
24131 appropriate decision to make on behalf of the user. @xref{Splitting
24134 You have to specify one or more spam back ends for @code{spam-split}
24135 to use, by setting the @code{spam-use-*} variables. @xref{Spam Back
24136 Ends}. Normally, @code{spam-split} simply uses all the spam back ends
24137 you enabled in this way. However, you can tell @code{spam-split} to
24138 use only some of them. Why this is useful? Suppose you are using the
24139 @code{spam-use-regex-headers} and @code{spam-use-blackholes} spam back
24140 ends, and the following split rule:
24143 nnimap-split-fancy '(|
24144 (any "ding" "ding")
24146 ;; @r{default mailbox}
24151 The problem is that you want all ding messages to make it to the ding
24152 folder. But that will let obvious spam (for example, spam detected by
24153 SpamAssassin, and @code{spam-use-regex-headers}) through, when it's
24154 sent to the ding list. On the other hand, some messages to the ding
24155 list are from a mail server in the blackhole list, so the invocation
24156 of @code{spam-split} can't be before the ding rule.
24158 The solution is to let SpamAssassin headers supersede ding rules, and
24159 perform the other @code{spam-split} rules (including a second
24160 invocation of the regex-headers check) after the ding rule. This is
24161 done by passing a parameter to @code{spam-split}:
24166 ;; @r{spam detected by @code{spam-use-regex-headers} goes to @samp{regex-spam}}
24167 (: spam-split "regex-spam" 'spam-use-regex-headers)
24168 (any "ding" "ding")
24169 ;; @r{all other spam detected by spam-split goes to @code{spam-split-group}}
24171 ;; @r{default mailbox}
24176 This lets you invoke specific @code{spam-split} checks depending on
24177 your particular needs, and target the results of those checks to a
24178 particular spam group. You don't have to throw all mail into all the
24179 spam tests. Another reason why this is nice is that messages to
24180 mailing lists you have rules for don't have to have resource-intensive
24181 blackhole checks performed on them. You could also specify different
24182 spam checks for your nnmail split vs. your nnimap split. Go crazy.
24184 You should set the @code{spam-use-*} variables for whatever spam back
24185 ends you intend to use. The reason is that when loading
24186 @file{spam.el}, some conditional loading is done depending on what
24187 @code{spam-use-xyz} variables you have set. @xref{Spam Back Ends}.
24189 @c @emph{TODO: spam.el needs to provide a uniform way of training all the
24190 @c statistical databases. Some have that functionality built-in, others
24193 @node Detecting Spam in Groups
24194 @subsection Detecting Spam in Groups
24196 To detect spam when visiting a group, set the group's
24197 @code{spam-autodetect} and @code{spam-autodetect-methods} group
24198 parameters. These are accessible with @kbd{G c} or @kbd{G p}, as
24199 usual (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
24201 You should set the @code{spam-use-*} variables for whatever spam back
24202 ends you intend to use. The reason is that when loading
24203 @file{spam.el}, some conditional loading is done depending on what
24204 @code{spam-use-xyz} variables you have set.
24206 By default, only unseen articles are processed for spam. You can
24207 force Gnus to recheck all messages in the group by setting the
24208 variable @code{spam-autodetect-recheck-messages} to @code{t}.
24210 If you use the @code{spam-autodetect} method of checking for spam, you
24211 can specify different spam detection methods for different groups.
24212 For instance, the @samp{ding} group may have @code{spam-use-BBDB} as
24213 the autodetection method, while the @samp{suspect} group may have the
24214 @code{spam-use-blacklist} and @code{spam-use-bogofilter} methods
24215 enabled. Unlike with @code{spam-split}, you don't have any control
24216 over the @emph{sequence} of checks, but this is probably unimportant.
24218 @node Spam and Ham Processors
24219 @subsection Spam and Ham Processors
24220 @cindex spam filtering
24221 @cindex spam filtering variables
24222 @cindex spam variables
24225 @vindex gnus-spam-process-newsgroups
24226 Spam and ham processors specify special actions to take when you exit
24227 a group buffer. Spam processors act on spam messages, and ham
24228 processors on ham messages. At present, the main role of these
24229 processors is to update the dictionaries of dictionary-based spam back
24230 ends such as Bogofilter (@pxref{Bogofilter}) and the Spam Statistics
24231 package (@pxref{Spam Statistics Filtering}).
24233 The spam and ham processors that apply to each group are determined by
24234 the group's@code{spam-process} group parameter. If this group
24235 parameter is not defined, they are determined by the variable
24236 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups}.
24238 @vindex gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents
24239 Gnus learns from the spam you get. You have to collect your spam in
24240 one or more spam groups, and set or customize the variable
24241 @code{spam-junk-mailgroups} as appropriate. You can also declare
24242 groups to contain spam by setting their group parameter
24243 @code{spam-contents} to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-spam}, or
24244 by customizing the corresponding variable
24245 @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}. The @code{spam-contents} group
24246 parameter and the @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents} variable can
24247 also be used to declare groups as @emph{ham} groups if you set their
24248 classification to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-ham}. If
24249 groups are not classified by means of @code{spam-junk-mailgroups},
24250 @code{spam-contents}, or @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}, they are
24251 considered @emph{unclassified}. All groups are unclassified by
24254 @vindex gnus-spam-mark
24256 In spam groups, all messages are considered to be spam by default:
24257 they get the @samp{$} mark (@code{gnus-spam-mark}) when you enter the
24258 group. If you have seen a message, had it marked as spam, then
24259 unmarked it, it won't be marked as spam when you enter the group
24260 thereafter. You can disable that behavior, so all unread messages
24261 will get the @samp{$} mark, if you set the
24262 @code{spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam} parameter to @code{nil}. You
24263 should remove the @samp{$} mark when you are in the group summary
24264 buffer for every message that is not spam after all. To remove the
24265 @samp{$} mark, you can use @kbd{M-u} to ``unread'' the article, or
24266 @kbd{d} for declaring it read the non-spam way. When you leave a
24267 group, all spam-marked (@samp{$}) articles are sent to a spam
24268 processor which will study them as spam samples.
24270 Messages may also be deleted in various other ways, and unless
24271 @code{ham-marks} group parameter gets overridden below, marks @samp{R}
24272 and @samp{r} for default read or explicit delete, marks @samp{X} and
24273 @samp{K} for automatic or explicit kills, as well as mark @samp{Y} for
24274 low scores, are all considered to be associated with articles which
24275 are not spam. This assumption might be false, in particular if you
24276 use kill files or score files as means for detecting genuine spam, you
24277 should then adjust the @code{ham-marks} group parameter.
24280 You can customize this group or topic parameter to be the list of
24281 marks you want to consider ham. By default, the list contains the
24282 deleted, read, killed, kill-filed, and low-score marks (the idea is
24283 that these articles have been read, but are not spam). It can be
24284 useful to also include the tick mark in the ham marks. It is not
24285 recommended to make the unread mark a ham mark, because it normally
24286 indicates a lack of classification. But you can do it, and we'll be
24291 You can customize this group or topic parameter to be the list of
24292 marks you want to consider spam. By default, the list contains only
24293 the spam mark. It is not recommended to change that, but you can if
24294 you really want to.
24297 When you leave @emph{any} group, regardless of its
24298 @code{spam-contents} classification, all spam-marked articles are sent
24299 to a spam processor, which will study these as spam samples. If you
24300 explicit kill a lot, you might sometimes end up with articles marked
24301 @samp{K} which you never saw, and which might accidentally contain
24302 spam. Best is to make sure that real spam is marked with @samp{$},
24305 @vindex gnus-ham-process-destinations
24306 When you leave a @emph{spam} group, all spam-marked articles are
24307 marked as expired after processing with the spam processor. This is
24308 not done for @emph{unclassified} or @emph{ham} groups. Also, any
24309 @strong{ham} articles in a spam group will be moved to a location
24310 determined by either the @code{ham-process-destination} group
24311 parameter or a match in the @code{gnus-ham-process-destinations}
24312 variable, which is a list of regular expressions matched with group
24313 names (it's easiest to customize this variable with @kbd{M-x
24314 customize-variable @key{RET} gnus-ham-process-destinations}). Each
24315 group name list is a standard Lisp list, if you prefer to customize
24316 the variable manually. If the @code{ham-process-destination}
24317 parameter is not set, ham articles are left in place. If the
24318 @code{spam-mark-ham-unread-before-move-from-spam-group} parameter is
24319 set, the ham articles are marked as unread before being moved.
24321 If ham can not be moved---because of a read-only back end such as
24322 @acronym{NNTP}, for example, it will be copied.
24324 Note that you can use multiples destinations per group or regular
24325 expression! This enables you to send your ham to a regular mail
24326 group and to a @emph{ham training} group.
24328 When you leave a @emph{ham} group, all ham-marked articles are sent to
24329 a ham processor, which will study these as non-spam samples.
24331 @vindex spam-process-ham-in-spam-groups
24332 By default the variable @code{spam-process-ham-in-spam-groups} is
24333 @code{nil}. Set it to @code{t} if you want ham found in spam groups
24334 to be processed. Normally this is not done, you are expected instead
24335 to send your ham to a ham group and process it there.
24337 @vindex spam-process-ham-in-nonham-groups
24338 By default the variable @code{spam-process-ham-in-nonham-groups} is
24339 @code{nil}. Set it to @code{t} if you want ham found in non-ham (spam
24340 or unclassified) groups to be processed. Normally this is not done,
24341 you are expected instead to send your ham to a ham group and process
24344 @vindex gnus-spam-process-destinations
24345 When you leave a @emph{ham} or @emph{unclassified} group, all
24346 @strong{spam} articles are moved to a location determined by either
24347 the @code{spam-process-destination} group parameter or a match in the
24348 @code{gnus-spam-process-destinations} variable, which is a list of
24349 regular expressions matched with group names (it's easiest to
24350 customize this variable with @kbd{M-x customize-variable @key{RET}
24351 gnus-spam-process-destinations}). Each group name list is a standard
24352 Lisp list, if you prefer to customize the variable manually. If the
24353 @code{spam-process-destination} parameter is not set, the spam
24354 articles are only expired. The group name is fully qualified, meaning
24355 that if you see @samp{nntp:servername} before the group name in the
24356 group buffer then you need it here as well.
24358 If spam can not be moved---because of a read-only back end such as
24359 @acronym{NNTP}, for example, it will be copied.
24361 Note that you can use multiples destinations per group or regular
24362 expression! This enables you to send your spam to multiple @emph{spam
24365 @vindex spam-log-to-registry
24366 The problem with processing ham and spam is that Gnus doesn't track
24367 this processing by default. Enable the @code{spam-log-to-registry}
24368 variable so @code{spam.el} will use @code{gnus-registry.el} to track
24369 what articles have been processed, and avoid processing articles
24370 multiple times. Keep in mind that if you limit the number of registry
24371 entries, this won't work as well as it does without a limit.
24373 @vindex spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam
24374 Set this variable if you want only unseen articles in spam groups to
24375 be marked as spam. By default, it is set. If you set it to
24376 @code{nil}, unread articles will also be marked as spam.
24378 @vindex spam-mark-ham-unread-before-move-from-spam-group
24379 Set this variable if you want ham to be unmarked before it is moved
24380 out of the spam group. This is very useful when you use something
24381 like the tick mark @samp{!} to mark ham---the article will be placed
24382 in your @code{ham-process-destination}, unmarked as if it came fresh
24383 from the mail server.
24385 @vindex spam-autodetect-recheck-messages
24386 When autodetecting spam, this variable tells @code{spam.el} whether
24387 only unseen articles or all unread articles should be checked for
24388 spam. It is recommended that you leave it off.
24390 @node Spam Package Configuration Examples
24391 @subsection Spam Package Configuration Examples
24392 @cindex spam filtering
24393 @cindex spam filtering configuration examples
24394 @cindex spam configuration examples
24397 @subsubheading Ted's setup
24399 From Ted Zlatanov <tzz@@lifelogs.com>.
24401 ;; @r{for @code{gnus-registry-split-fancy-with-parent} and spam autodetection}
24402 ;; @r{see @file{gnus-registry.el} for more information}
24403 (gnus-registry-initialize)
24407 spam-log-to-registry t ; @r{for spam autodetection}
24409 spam-use-regex-headers t ; @r{catch X-Spam-Flag (SpamAssassin)}
24410 ;; @r{all groups with @samp{spam} in the name contain spam}
24411 gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents
24412 '(("spam" gnus-group-spam-classification-spam))
24413 ;; @r{see documentation for these}
24414 spam-move-spam-nonspam-groups-only nil
24415 spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam t
24416 spam-mark-ham-unread-before-move-from-spam-group t
24417 nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
24418 ;; @r{understand what this does before you copy it to your own setup!}
24419 nnimap-split-fancy '(|
24420 ;; @r{trace references to parents and put in their group}
24421 (: gnus-registry-split-fancy-with-parent)
24422 ;; @r{this will catch server-side SpamAssassin tags}
24423 (: spam-split 'spam-use-regex-headers)
24424 (any "ding" "ding")
24425 ;; @r{note that spam by default will go to @samp{spam}}
24427 ;; @r{default mailbox}
24430 ;; @r{my parameters, set with @kbd{G p}}
24432 ;; @r{all nnml groups, and all nnimap groups except}
24433 ;; @r{@samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train} and}
24434 ;; @r{@samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:spam}: any spam goes to nnimap training,}
24435 ;; @r{because it must have been detected manually}
24437 ((spam-process-destination . "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train"))
24439 ;; @r{all @acronym{NNTP} groups}
24440 ;; @r{autodetect spam with the blacklist and ham with the BBDB}
24441 ((spam-autodetect-methods spam-use-blacklist spam-use-BBDB)
24442 ;; @r{send all spam to the training group}
24443 (spam-process-destination . "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train"))
24445 ;; @r{only some @acronym{NNTP} groups, where I want to autodetect spam}
24446 ((spam-autodetect . t))
24448 ;; @r{my nnimap @samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:spam} group}
24450 ;; @r{this is a spam group}
24451 ((spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-spam)
24453 ;; @r{any spam (which happens when I enter for all unseen messages,}
24454 ;; @r{because of the @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents} setting above), goes to}
24455 ;; @r{@samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train} unless I mark it as ham}
24457 (spam-process-destination "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train")
24459 ;; @r{any ham goes to my @samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:mail} folder, but}
24460 ;; @r{also to my @samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:trainham} folder for training}
24462 (ham-process-destination "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:mail"
24463 "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:trainham")
24464 ;; @r{in this group, only @samp{!} marks are ham}
24466 (gnus-ticked-mark))
24467 ;; @r{remembers senders in the blacklist on the way out---this is}
24468 ;; @r{definitely not needed, it just makes me feel better}
24469 (spam-process (gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist)))
24471 ;; @r{Later, on the @acronym{IMAP} server I use the @samp{train} group for training}
24472 ;; @r{SpamAssassin to recognize spam, and the @samp{trainham} group fora}
24473 ;; @r{recognizing ham---but Gnus has nothing to do with it.}
24477 @subsubheading Using @code{spam.el} on an IMAP server with a statistical filter on the server
24478 From Reiner Steib <reiner.steib@@gmx.de>.
24480 My provider has set up bogofilter (in combination with @acronym{DCC}) on
24481 the mail server (@acronym{IMAP}). Recognized spam goes to
24482 @samp{spam.detected}, the rest goes through the normal filter rules,
24483 i.e. to @samp{some.folder} or to @samp{INBOX}. Training on false
24484 positives or negatives is done by copying or moving the article to
24485 @samp{training.ham} or @samp{training.spam} respectively. A cron job on
24486 the server feeds those to bogofilter with the suitable ham or spam
24487 options and deletes them from the @samp{training.ham} and
24488 @samp{training.spam} folders.
24490 With the following entries in @code{gnus-parameters}, @code{spam.el}
24491 does most of the job for me:
24494 ("nnimap:spam\\.detected"
24495 (gnus-article-sort-functions '(gnus-article-sort-by-chars))
24496 (ham-process-destination "nnimap:INBOX" "nnimap:training.ham")
24497 (spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-spam))
24498 ("nnimap:\\(INBOX\\|other-folders\\)"
24499 (spam-process-destination . "nnimap:training.spam")
24500 (spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-ham))
24505 @item @b{The Spam folder:}
24507 In the folder @samp{spam.detected}, I have to check for false positives
24508 (i.e. legitimate mails, that were wrongly judged as spam by
24509 bogofilter or DCC).
24511 Because of the @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-spam} entry, all
24512 messages are marked as spam (with @code{$}). When I find a false
24513 positive, I mark the message with some other ham mark
24514 (@code{ham-marks}, @ref{Spam and Ham Processors}). On group exit,
24515 those messages are copied to both groups, @samp{INBOX} (where I want
24516 to have the article) and @samp{training.ham} (for training bogofilter)
24517 and deleted from the @samp{spam.detected} folder.
24519 The @code{gnus-article-sort-by-chars} entry simplifies detection of
24520 false positives for me. I receive lots of worms (sweN, @dots{}), that all
24521 have a similar size. Grouping them by size (i.e. chars) makes finding
24522 other false positives easier. (Of course worms aren't @i{spam}
24523 (@acronym{UCE}, @acronym{UBE}) strictly speaking. Anyhow, bogofilter is
24524 an excellent tool for filtering those unwanted mails for me.)
24526 @item @b{Ham folders:}
24528 In my ham folders, I just hit @kbd{S x}
24529 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}) whenever I see an unrecognized spam
24530 mail (false negative). On group exit, those messages are moved to
24531 @samp{training.spam}.
24534 @subsubheading Reporting spam articles in Gmane groups with @code{spam-report.el}
24536 From Reiner Steib <reiner.steib@@gmx.de>.
24538 With following entry in @code{gnus-parameters}, @kbd{S x}
24539 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}) marks articles in @code{gmane.*}
24540 groups as spam and reports the to Gmane at group exit:
24544 (spam-process (gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-report-gmane)))
24547 Additionally, I use @code{(setq spam-report-gmane-use-article-number nil)}
24548 because I don't read the groups directly from news.gmane.org, but
24549 through my local news server (leafnode). I.e. the article numbers are
24550 not the same as on news.gmane.org, thus @code{spam-report.el} has to check
24551 the @code{X-Report-Spam} header to find the correct number.
24553 @node Spam Back Ends
24554 @subsection Spam Back Ends
24555 @cindex spam back ends
24557 The spam package offers a variety of back ends for detecting spam.
24558 Each back end defines a set of methods for detecting spam
24559 (@pxref{Filtering Incoming Mail}, @pxref{Detecting Spam in Groups}),
24560 and a pair of spam and ham processors (@pxref{Spam and Ham
24564 * Blacklists and Whitelists::
24565 * BBDB Whitelists::
24566 * Gmane Spam Reporting::
24567 * Anti-spam Hashcash Payments::
24569 * Regular Expressions Header Matching::
24571 * SpamAssassin back end::
24572 * ifile spam filtering::
24573 * Spam Statistics Filtering::
24577 @node Blacklists and Whitelists
24578 @subsubsection Blacklists and Whitelists
24579 @cindex spam filtering
24580 @cindex whitelists, spam filtering
24581 @cindex blacklists, spam filtering
24584 @defvar spam-use-blacklist
24586 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use blacklists when
24587 splitting incoming mail. Messages whose senders are in the blacklist
24588 will be sent to the @code{spam-split-group}. This is an explicit
24589 filter, meaning that it acts only on mail senders @emph{declared} to
24594 @defvar spam-use-whitelist
24596 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use whitelists when
24597 splitting incoming mail. Messages whose senders are not in the
24598 whitelist will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an
24599 explicit filter, meaning that unless someone is in the whitelist, their
24600 messages are not assumed to be spam or ham.
24604 @defvar spam-use-whitelist-exclusive
24606 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use whitelists as an
24607 implicit filter, meaning that every message will be considered spam
24608 unless the sender is in the whitelist. Use with care.
24612 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist
24614 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24615 customizing the group parameters or the
24616 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
24617 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
24618 spam-marked articles will be added to the blacklist.
24622 Instead of the obsolete
24623 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist}, it is recommended
24624 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-blacklist)}. Everything will work
24625 the same way, we promise.
24629 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-whitelist
24631 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24632 customizing the group parameters or the
24633 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
24634 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
24635 ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
24640 Instead of the obsolete
24641 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-whitelist}, it is recommended
24642 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-whitelist)}. Everything will work
24643 the same way, we promise.
24647 Blacklists are lists of regular expressions matching addresses you
24648 consider to be spam senders. For instance, to block mail from any
24649 sender at @samp{vmadmin.com}, you can put @samp{vmadmin.com} in your
24650 blacklist. You start out with an empty blacklist. Blacklist entries
24651 use the Emacs regular expression syntax.
24653 Conversely, whitelists tell Gnus what addresses are considered
24654 legitimate. All messages from whitelisted addresses are considered
24655 non-spam. Also see @ref{BBDB Whitelists}. Whitelist entries use the
24656 Emacs regular expression syntax.
24658 The blacklist and whitelist file locations can be customized with the
24659 @code{spam-directory} variable (@file{~/News/spam} by default), or
24660 the @code{spam-whitelist} and @code{spam-blacklist} variables
24661 directly. The whitelist and blacklist files will by default be in the
24662 @code{spam-directory} directory, named @file{whitelist} and
24663 @file{blacklist} respectively.
24665 @node BBDB Whitelists
24666 @subsubsection BBDB Whitelists
24667 @cindex spam filtering
24668 @cindex BBDB whitelists, spam filtering
24669 @cindex BBDB, spam filtering
24672 @defvar spam-use-BBDB
24674 Analogous to @code{spam-use-whitelist} (@pxref{Blacklists and
24675 Whitelists}), but uses the BBDB as the source of whitelisted
24676 addresses, without regular expressions. You must have the BBDB loaded
24677 for @code{spam-use-BBDB} to work properly. Messages whose senders are
24678 not in the BBDB will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an
24679 explicit filter, meaning that unless someone is in the BBDB, their
24680 messages are not assumed to be spam or ham.
24684 @defvar spam-use-BBDB-exclusive
24686 Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use the BBDB as an
24687 implicit filter, meaning that every message will be considered spam
24688 unless the sender is in the BBDB. Use with care. Only sender
24689 addresses in the BBDB will be allowed through; all others will be
24690 classified as spammers.
24692 While @code{spam-use-BBDB-exclusive} @emph{can} be used as an alias
24693 for @code{spam-use-BBDB} as far as @code{spam.el} is concerned, it is
24694 @emph{not} a separate back end. If you set
24695 @code{spam-use-BBDB-exclusive} to t, @emph{all} your BBDB splitting
24700 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-BBDB
24702 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24703 customizing the group parameters or the
24704 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
24705 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
24706 ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
24711 Instead of the obsolete
24712 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-BBDB}, it is recommended
24713 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-BBDB)}. Everything will work
24714 the same way, we promise.
24718 @node Gmane Spam Reporting
24719 @subsubsection Gmane Spam Reporting
24720 @cindex spam reporting
24721 @cindex Gmane, spam reporting
24722 @cindex Gmane, spam reporting
24725 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-report-gmane
24727 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24728 customizing the group parameters or the
24729 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
24730 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the spam-marked
24731 articles groups will be reported to the Gmane administrators via a
24734 Gmane can be found at @uref{http://gmane.org}.
24738 Instead of the obsolete
24739 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-report-gmane}, it is recommended
24740 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-gmane)}. Everything will work the
24741 same way, we promise.
24745 @defvar spam-report-gmane-use-article-number
24747 This variable is @code{t} by default. Set it to @code{nil} if you are
24748 running your own news server, for instance, and the local article
24749 numbers don't correspond to the Gmane article numbers. When
24750 @code{spam-report-gmane-use-article-number} is @code{nil},
24751 @code{spam-report.el} will fetch the number from the article headers.
24755 @defvar spam-report-user-mail-address
24757 Mail address exposed in the User-Agent spam reports to Gmane. It allows
24758 the Gmane administrators to contact you in case of misreports. The
24759 default is @code{user-mail-address}.
24763 @node Anti-spam Hashcash Payments
24764 @subsubsection Anti-spam Hashcash Payments
24765 @cindex spam filtering
24766 @cindex hashcash, spam filtering
24769 @defvar spam-use-hashcash
24771 Similar to @code{spam-use-whitelist} (@pxref{Blacklists and
24772 Whitelists}), but uses hashcash tokens for whitelisting messages
24773 instead of the sender address. Messages without a hashcash payment
24774 token will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an explicit
24775 filter, meaning that unless a hashcash token is found, the messages
24776 are not assumed to be spam or ham.
24781 @subsubsection Blackholes
24782 @cindex spam filtering
24783 @cindex blackholes, spam filtering
24786 @defvar spam-use-blackholes
24788 This option is disabled by default. You can let Gnus consult the
24789 blackhole-type distributed spam processing systems (DCC, for instance)
24790 when you set this option. The variable @code{spam-blackhole-servers}
24791 holds the list of blackhole servers Gnus will consult. The current
24792 list is fairly comprehensive, but make sure to let us know if it
24793 contains outdated servers.
24795 The blackhole check uses the @code{dig.el} package, but you can tell
24796 @code{spam.el} to use @code{dns.el} instead for better performance if
24797 you set @code{spam-use-dig} to @code{nil}. It is not recommended at
24798 this time to set @code{spam-use-dig} to @code{nil} despite the
24799 possible performance improvements, because some users may be unable to
24800 use it, but you can try it and see if it works for you.
24804 @defvar spam-blackhole-servers
24806 The list of servers to consult for blackhole checks.
24810 @defvar spam-blackhole-good-server-regex
24812 A regular expression for IPs that should not be checked against the
24813 blackhole server list. When set to @code{nil}, it has no effect.
24817 @defvar spam-use-dig
24819 Use the @code{dig.el} package instead of the @code{dns.el} package.
24820 The default setting of @code{t} is recommended.
24824 Blackhole checks are done only on incoming mail. There is no spam or
24825 ham processor for blackholes.
24827 @node Regular Expressions Header Matching
24828 @subsubsection Regular Expressions Header Matching
24829 @cindex spam filtering
24830 @cindex regular expressions header matching, spam filtering
24833 @defvar spam-use-regex-headers
24835 This option is disabled by default. You can let Gnus check the
24836 message headers against lists of regular expressions when you set this
24837 option. The variables @code{spam-regex-headers-spam} and
24838 @code{spam-regex-headers-ham} hold the list of regular expressions.
24839 Gnus will check against the message headers to determine if the
24840 message is spam or ham, respectively.
24844 @defvar spam-regex-headers-spam
24846 The list of regular expressions that, when matched in the headers of
24847 the message, positively identify it as spam.
24851 @defvar spam-regex-headers-ham
24853 The list of regular expressions that, when matched in the headers of
24854 the message, positively identify it as ham.
24858 Regular expression header checks are done only on incoming mail.
24859 There is no specific spam or ham processor for regular expressions.
24862 @subsubsection Bogofilter
24863 @cindex spam filtering
24864 @cindex bogofilter, spam filtering
24867 @defvar spam-use-bogofilter
24869 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use Eric Raymond's
24872 With a minimum of care for associating the @samp{$} mark for spam
24873 articles only, Bogofilter training all gets fairly automatic. You
24874 should do this until you get a few hundreds of articles in each
24875 category, spam or not. The command @kbd{S t} in summary mode, either
24876 for debugging or for curiosity, shows the @emph{spamicity} score of
24877 the current article (between 0.0 and 1.0).
24879 Bogofilter determines if a message is spam based on a specific
24880 threshold. That threshold can be customized, consult the Bogofilter
24883 If the @code{bogofilter} executable is not in your path, Bogofilter
24884 processing will be turned off.
24886 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-bogofilter-headers}.
24895 @findex spam-bogofilter-score
24896 Get the Bogofilter spamicity score (@code{spam-bogofilter-score}).
24899 @defvar spam-use-bogofilter-headers
24901 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use Eric Raymond's
24902 speedy Bogofilter, looking only at the message headers. It works
24903 similarly to @code{spam-use-bogofilter}, but the @code{X-Bogosity} header
24904 must be in the message already. Normally you would do this with a
24905 procmail recipe or something similar; consult the Bogofilter
24906 installation documents for details.
24908 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-bogofilter}.
24912 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-bogofilter
24913 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24914 customizing the group parameters or the
24915 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
24916 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, spam-marked articles
24917 will be added to the Bogofilter spam database.
24921 Instead of the obsolete
24922 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-bogofilter}, it is recommended
24923 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-bogofilter)}. Everything will work
24924 the same way, we promise.
24927 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-bogofilter
24928 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
24929 customizing the group parameters or the
24930 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
24931 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked
24932 articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the Bogofilter database
24933 of non-spam messages.
24937 Instead of the obsolete
24938 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-bogofilter}, it is recommended
24939 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-bogofilter)}. Everything will work
24940 the same way, we promise.
24943 @defvar spam-bogofilter-database-directory
24945 This is the directory where Bogofilter will store its databases. It
24946 is not specified by default, so Bogofilter will use its own default
24947 database directory.
24951 The Bogofilter mail classifier is similar to @command{ifile} in intent and
24952 purpose. A ham and a spam processor are provided, plus the
24953 @code{spam-use-bogofilter} and @code{spam-use-bogofilter-headers}
24954 variables to indicate to spam-split that Bogofilter should either be
24955 used, or has already been used on the article. The 0.9.2.1 version of
24956 Bogofilter was used to test this functionality.
24958 @node SpamAssassin back end
24959 @subsubsection SpamAssassin back end
24960 @cindex spam filtering
24961 @cindex spamassassin, spam filtering
24964 @defvar spam-use-spamassassin
24966 Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use SpamAssassin.
24968 SpamAssassin assigns a score to each article based on a set of rules
24969 and tests, including a Bayesian filter. The Bayesian filter can be
24970 trained by associating the @samp{$} mark for spam articles. The
24971 spam score can be viewed by using the command @kbd{S t} in summary
24974 If you set this variable, each article will be processed by
24975 SpamAssassin when @code{spam-split} is called. If your mail is
24976 preprocessed by SpamAssassin, and you want to just use the
24977 SpamAssassin headers, set @code{spam-use-spamassassin-headers}
24980 You should not enable this if you use
24981 @code{spam-use-spamassassin-headers}.
24985 @defvar spam-use-spamassassin-headers
24987 Set this variable if your mail is preprocessed by SpamAssassin and
24988 want @code{spam-split} to split based on the SpamAssassin headers.
24990 You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-spamassassin}.
24994 @defvar spam-spamassassin-program
24996 This variable points to the SpamAssassin executable. If you have
24997 @code{spamd} running, you can set this variable to the @code{spamc}
24998 executable for faster processing. See the SpamAssassin documentation
24999 for more information on @code{spamd}/@code{spamc}.
25003 SpamAssassin is a powerful and flexible spam filter that uses a wide
25004 variety of tests to identify spam. A ham and a spam processors are
25005 provided, plus the @code{spam-use-spamassassin} and
25006 @code{spam-use-spamassassin-headers} variables to indicate to
25007 spam-split that SpamAssassin should be either used, or has already
25008 been used on the article. The 2.63 version of SpamAssassin was used
25009 to test this functionality.
25011 @node ifile spam filtering
25012 @subsubsection ifile spam filtering
25013 @cindex spam filtering
25014 @cindex ifile, spam filtering
25017 @defvar spam-use-ifile
25019 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use @command{ifile}, a
25020 statistical analyzer similar to Bogofilter.
25024 @defvar spam-ifile-all-categories
25026 Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-use-ifile} to give you all
25027 the ifile categories, not just spam/non-spam. If you use this, make
25028 sure you train ifile as described in its documentation.
25032 @defvar spam-ifile-spam-category
25034 This is the category of spam messages as far as ifile is concerned.
25035 The actual string used is irrelevant, but you probably want to leave
25036 the default value of @samp{spam}.
25039 @defvar spam-ifile-database
25041 This is the filename for the ifile database. It is not specified by
25042 default, so ifile will use its own default database name.
25046 The ifile mail classifier is similar to Bogofilter in intent and
25047 purpose. A ham and a spam processor are provided, plus the
25048 @code{spam-use-ifile} variable to indicate to spam-split that ifile
25049 should be used. The 1.2.1 version of ifile was used to test this
25052 @node Spam Statistics Filtering
25053 @subsubsection Spam Statistics Filtering
25054 @cindex spam filtering
25055 @cindex spam-stat, spam filtering
25059 This back end uses the Spam Statistics Emacs Lisp package to perform
25060 statistics-based filtering (@pxref{Spam Statistics Package}). Before
25061 using this, you may want to perform some additional steps to
25062 initialize your Spam Statistics dictionary. @xref{Creating a
25063 spam-stat dictionary}.
25065 @defvar spam-use-stat
25069 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-stat
25070 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
25071 customizing the group parameters or the
25072 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
25073 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the spam-marked
25074 articles will be added to the spam-stat database of spam messages.
25078 Instead of the obsolete
25079 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-stat}, it is recommended
25080 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-stat)}. Everything will work
25081 the same way, we promise.
25084 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-stat
25085 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
25086 customizing the group parameters or the
25087 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
25088 added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked
25089 articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the spam-stat database
25090 of non-spam messages.
25094 Instead of the obsolete
25095 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-stat}, it is recommended
25096 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-stat)}. Everything will work
25097 the same way, we promise.
25100 This enables @code{spam.el} to cooperate with @file{spam-stat.el}.
25101 @file{spam-stat.el} provides an internal (Lisp-only) spam database,
25102 which unlike ifile or Bogofilter does not require external programs.
25103 A spam and a ham processor, and the @code{spam-use-stat} variable for
25104 @code{spam-split} are provided.
25107 @subsubsection Using SpamOracle with Gnus
25108 @cindex spam filtering
25112 An easy way to filter out spam is to use SpamOracle. SpamOracle is an
25113 statistical mail filtering tool written by Xavier Leroy and needs to be
25114 installed separately.
25116 There are several ways to use SpamOracle with Gnus. In all cases, your
25117 mail is piped through SpamOracle in its @emph{mark} mode. SpamOracle will
25118 then enter an @samp{X-Spam} header indicating whether it regards the
25119 mail as a spam mail or not.
25121 One possibility is to run SpamOracle as a @code{:prescript} from the
25122 @xref{Mail Source Specifiers}, (@pxref{SpamAssassin}). This method has
25123 the advantage that the user can see the @emph{X-Spam} headers.
25125 The easiest method is to make @file{spam.el} (@pxref{Spam Package})
25128 @vindex spam-use-spamoracle
25129 To enable SpamOracle usage by @code{spam.el}, set the variable
25130 @code{spam-use-spamoracle} to @code{t} and configure the
25131 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or @code{nnimap-split-fancy}. @xref{Spam
25132 Package}. In this example the @samp{INBOX} of an nnimap server is
25133 filtered using SpamOracle. Mails recognized as spam mails will be
25134 moved to @code{spam-split-group}, @samp{Junk} in this case. Ham
25135 messages stay in @samp{INBOX}:
25138 (setq spam-use-spamoracle t
25139 spam-split-group "Junk"
25140 nnimap-split-inbox '("INBOX")
25141 nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
25142 nnimap-split-fancy '(| (: spam-split) "INBOX"))
25145 @defvar spam-use-spamoracle
25146 Set to @code{t} if you want Gnus to enable spam filtering using
25150 @defvar spam-spamoracle-binary
25151 Gnus uses the SpamOracle binary called @file{spamoracle} found in the
25152 user's PATH. Using the variable @code{spam-spamoracle-binary}, this
25156 @defvar spam-spamoracle-database
25157 By default, SpamOracle uses the file @file{~/.spamoracle.db} as a database to
25158 store its analysis. This is controlled by the variable
25159 @code{spam-spamoracle-database} which defaults to @code{nil}. That means
25160 the default SpamOracle database will be used. In case you want your
25161 database to live somewhere special, set
25162 @code{spam-spamoracle-database} to this path.
25165 SpamOracle employs a statistical algorithm to determine whether a
25166 message is spam or ham. In order to get good results, meaning few
25167 false hits or misses, SpamOracle needs training. SpamOracle learns
25168 the characteristics of your spam mails. Using the @emph{add} mode
25169 (training mode) one has to feed good (ham) and spam mails to
25170 SpamOracle. This can be done by pressing @kbd{|} in the Summary
25171 buffer and pipe the mail to a SpamOracle process or using
25172 @file{spam.el}'s spam- and ham-processors, which is much more
25173 convenient. For a detailed description of spam- and ham-processors,
25174 @xref{Spam Package}.
25176 @defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-spamoracle
25177 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
25178 customizing the group parameter or the
25179 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is added
25180 to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, spam-marked articles will be
25181 sent to SpamOracle as spam samples.
25185 Instead of the obsolete
25186 @code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-spamoracle}, it is recommended
25187 that you use @code{(spam spam-use-spamoracle)}. Everything will work
25188 the same way, we promise.
25191 @defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-spamoracle
25192 Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
25193 customizing the group parameter or the
25194 @code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is added
25195 to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked articles in
25196 @emph{ham} groups will be sent to the SpamOracle as samples of ham
25201 Instead of the obsolete
25202 @code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-spamoracle}, it is recommended
25203 that you use @code{(ham spam-use-spamoracle)}. Everything will work
25204 the same way, we promise.
25207 @emph{Example:} These are the Group Parameters of a group that has been
25208 classified as a ham group, meaning that it should only contain ham
25211 ((spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-ham)
25212 (spam-process ((ham spam-use-spamoracle)
25213 (spam spam-use-spamoracle))))
25215 For this group the @code{spam-use-spamoracle} is installed for both
25216 ham and spam processing. If the group contains spam message
25217 (e.g. because SpamOracle has not had enough sample messages yet) and
25218 the user marks some messages as spam messages, these messages will be
25219 processed by SpamOracle. The processor sends the messages to
25220 SpamOracle as new samples for spam.
25222 @node Extending the Spam package
25223 @subsection Extending the Spam package
25224 @cindex spam filtering
25225 @cindex spam elisp package, extending
25226 @cindex extending the spam elisp package
25228 Say you want to add a new back end called blackbox. For filtering
25229 incoming mail, provide the following:
25237 (defvar spam-use-blackbox nil
25238 "True if blackbox should be used.")
25241 Write @code{spam-check-blackbox} if Blackbox can check incoming mail.
25243 Write @code{spam-blackbox-register-routine} and
25244 @code{spam-blackbox-unregister-routine} using the bogofilter
25245 register/unregister routines as a start, or other restister/unregister
25246 routines more appropriate to Blackbox, if Blackbox can
25247 register/unregister spam and ham.
25252 The @code{spam-check-blackbox} function should return @samp{nil} or
25253 @code{spam-split-group}, observing the other conventions. See the
25254 existing @code{spam-check-*} functions for examples of what you can
25255 do, and stick to the template unless you fully understand the reasons
25260 For processing spam and ham messages, provide the following:
25267 Note you don't have to provide a spam or a ham processor. Only
25268 provide them if Blackbox supports spam or ham processing.
25270 Also, ham and spam processors are being phased out as single
25271 variables. Instead the form @code{(spam spam-use-blackbox)} or
25272 @code{(ham spam-use-blackbox)} is favored. For now, spam/ham
25273 processor variables are still around but they won't be for long.
25276 (defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blackbox "blackbox-spam"
25277 "The Blackbox summary exit spam processor.
25278 Only applicable to spam groups.")
25280 (defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-blackbox "blackbox-ham"
25281 "The whitelist summary exit ham processor.
25282 Only applicable to non-spam (unclassified and ham) groups.")
25291 (const :tag "Spam: Blackbox" (spam spam-use-blackbox))
25292 (const :tag "Ham: Blackbox" (ham spam-use-blackbox))
25294 to the @code{spam-process} group parameter in @code{gnus.el}. Make
25295 sure you do it twice, once for the parameter and once for the
25296 variable customization.
25300 (variable-item spam-use-blackbox)
25302 to the @code{spam-autodetect-methods} group parameter in
25303 @code{gnus.el} if Blackbox can check incoming mail for spam contents.
25305 Finally, use the appropriate @code{spam-install-*-backend} function in
25306 @code{spam.el}. Here are the available functions.
25312 @code{spam-install-backend-alias}
25314 This function will simply install an alias for a back end that does
25315 everything like the original back end. It is currently only used to
25316 make @code{spam-use-BBDB-exclusive} act like @code{spam-use-BBDB}.
25319 @code{spam-install-nocheck-backend}
25321 This function installs a back end that has no check function, but can
25322 register/unregister ham or spam. The @code{spam-use-gmane} back end is
25326 @code{spam-install-checkonly-backend}
25328 This function will install a back end that can only check incoming mail
25329 for spam contents. It can't register or unregister messages.
25330 @code{spam-use-blackholes} and @code{spam-use-hashcash} are such
25334 @code{spam-install-statistical-checkonly-backend}
25336 This function installs a statistical back end (one which requires the
25337 full body of a message to check it) that can only check incoming mail
25338 for contents. @code{spam-use-regex-body} is such a filter.
25341 @code{spam-install-statistical-backend}
25343 This function install a statistical back end with incoming checks and
25344 registration/unregistration routines. @code{spam-use-bogofilter} is
25348 @code{spam-install-backend}
25350 This is the most normal back end installation, where a back end that can
25351 check and register/unregister messages is set up without statistical
25352 abilities. The @code{spam-use-BBDB} is such a back end.
25355 @code{spam-install-mover-backend}
25357 Mover back ends are internal to @code{spam.el} and specifically move
25358 articles around when the summary is exited. You will very probably
25359 never install such a back end.
25364 @node Spam Statistics Package
25365 @subsection Spam Statistics Package
25366 @cindex Paul Graham
25367 @cindex Graham, Paul
25368 @cindex naive Bayesian spam filtering
25369 @cindex Bayesian spam filtering, naive
25370 @cindex spam filtering, naive Bayesian
25372 Paul Graham has written an excellent essay about spam filtering using
25373 statistics: @uref{http://www.paulgraham.com/spam.html,A Plan for
25374 Spam}. In it he describes the inherent deficiency of rule-based
25375 filtering as used by SpamAssassin, for example: Somebody has to write
25376 the rules, and everybody else has to install these rules. You are
25377 always late. It would be much better, he argues, to filter mail based
25378 on whether it somehow resembles spam or non-spam. One way to measure
25379 this is word distribution. He then goes on to describe a solution
25380 that checks whether a new mail resembles any of your other spam mails
25383 The basic idea is this: Create a two collections of your mail, one
25384 with spam, one with non-spam. Count how often each word appears in
25385 either collection, weight this by the total number of mails in the
25386 collections, and store this information in a dictionary. For every
25387 word in a new mail, determine its probability to belong to a spam or a
25388 non-spam mail. Use the 15 most conspicuous words, compute the total
25389 probability of the mail being spam. If this probability is higher
25390 than a certain threshold, the mail is considered to be spam.
25392 The Spam Statistics package adds support to Gnus for this kind of
25393 filtering. It can be used as one of the back ends of the Spam package
25394 (@pxref{Spam Package}), or by itself.
25396 Before using the Spam Statistics package, you need to set it up.
25397 First, you need two collections of your mail, one with spam, one with
25398 non-spam. Then you need to create a dictionary using these two
25399 collections, and save it. And last but not least, you need to use
25400 this dictionary in your fancy mail splitting rules.
25403 * Creating a spam-stat dictionary::
25404 * Splitting mail using spam-stat::
25405 * Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary::
25408 @node Creating a spam-stat dictionary
25409 @subsubsection Creating a spam-stat dictionary
25411 Before you can begin to filter spam based on statistics, you must
25412 create these statistics based on two mail collections, one with spam,
25413 one with non-spam. These statistics are then stored in a dictionary
25414 for later use. In order for these statistics to be meaningful, you
25415 need several hundred emails in both collections.
25417 Gnus currently supports only the nnml back end for automated dictionary
25418 creation. The nnml back end stores all mails in a directory, one file
25419 per mail. Use the following:
25421 @defun spam-stat-process-spam-directory
25422 Create spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every file
25423 is treated as one spam mail.
25426 @defun spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory
25427 Create non-spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every
25428 file is treated as one non-spam mail.
25431 Usually you would call @code{spam-stat-process-spam-directory} on a
25432 directory such as @file{~/Mail/mail/spam} (this usually corresponds to
25433 the group @samp{nnml:mail.spam}), and you would call
25434 @code{spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory} on a directory such as
25435 @file{~/Mail/mail/misc} (this usually corresponds to the group
25436 @samp{nnml:mail.misc}).
25438 When you are using @acronym{IMAP}, you won't have the mails available
25439 locally, so that will not work. One solution is to use the Gnus Agent
25440 to cache the articles. Then you can use directories such as
25441 @file{"~/News/agent/nnimap/mail.yourisp.com/personal_spam"} for
25442 @code{spam-stat-process-spam-directory}. @xref{Agent as Cache}.
25445 This variable holds the hash-table with all the statistics---the
25446 dictionary we have been talking about. For every word in either
25447 collection, this hash-table stores a vector describing how often the
25448 word appeared in spam and often it appeared in non-spam mails.
25451 If you want to regenerate the statistics from scratch, you need to
25452 reset the dictionary.
25454 @defun spam-stat-reset
25455 Reset the @code{spam-stat} hash-table, deleting all the statistics.
25458 When you are done, you must save the dictionary. The dictionary may
25459 be rather large. If you will not update the dictionary incrementally
25460 (instead, you will recreate it once a month, for example), then you
25461 can reduce the size of the dictionary by deleting all words that did
25462 not appear often enough or that do not clearly belong to only spam or
25463 only non-spam mails.
25465 @defun spam-stat-reduce-size
25466 Reduce the size of the dictionary. Use this only if you do not want
25467 to update the dictionary incrementally.
25470 @defun spam-stat-save
25471 Save the dictionary.
25474 @defvar spam-stat-file
25475 The filename used to store the dictionary. This defaults to
25476 @file{~/.spam-stat.el}.
25479 @node Splitting mail using spam-stat
25480 @subsubsection Splitting mail using spam-stat
25482 This section describes how to use the Spam statistics
25483 @emph{independently} of the @xref{Spam Package}.
25485 First, add the following to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
25488 (require 'spam-stat)
25492 This will load the necessary Gnus code, and the dictionary you
25495 Next, you need to adapt your fancy splitting rules: You need to
25496 determine how to use @code{spam-stat}. The following examples are for
25497 the nnml back end. Using the nnimap back end works just as well. Just
25498 use @code{nnimap-split-fancy} instead of @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
25500 In the simplest case, you only have two groups, @samp{mail.misc} and
25501 @samp{mail.spam}. The following expression says that mail is either
25502 spam or it should go into @samp{mail.misc}. If it is spam, then
25503 @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will return @samp{mail.spam}.
25506 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
25507 `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
25511 @defvar spam-stat-split-fancy-spam-group
25512 The group to use for spam. Default is @samp{mail.spam}.
25515 If you also filter mail with specific subjects into other groups, use
25516 the following expression. Only mails not matching the regular
25517 expression are considered potential spam.
25520 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
25521 `(| ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
25522 (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
25526 If you want to filter for spam first, then you must be careful when
25527 creating the dictionary. Note that @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} must
25528 consider both mails in @samp{mail.emacs} and in @samp{mail.misc} as
25529 non-spam, therefore both should be in your collection of non-spam
25530 mails, when creating the dictionary!
25533 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
25534 `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
25535 ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
25539 You can combine this with traditional filtering. Here, we move all
25540 HTML-only mails into the @samp{mail.spam.filtered} group. Note that since
25541 @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will never see them, the mails in
25542 @samp{mail.spam.filtered} should be neither in your collection of spam mails,
25543 nor in your collection of non-spam mails, when creating the
25547 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
25548 `(| ("Content-Type" "text/html" "mail.spam.filtered")
25549 (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
25550 ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
25555 @node Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
25556 @subsubsection Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
25558 The main interface to using @code{spam-stat}, are the following functions:
25560 @defun spam-stat-buffer-is-spam
25561 Called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new spam mail.
25562 Use this for new mail that has not been processed before.
25565 @defun spam-stat-buffer-is-no-spam
25566 Called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new non-spam
25567 mail. Use this for new mail that has not been processed before.
25570 @defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-spam
25571 Called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be normal
25572 mail but spam. Use this to change the status of a mail that has
25573 already been processed as non-spam.
25576 @defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-non-spam
25577 Called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be spam but
25578 normal mail. Use this to change the status of a mail that has already
25579 been processed as spam.
25582 @defun spam-stat-save
25583 Save the hash table to the file. The filename used is stored in the
25584 variable @code{spam-stat-file}.
25587 @defun spam-stat-load
25588 Load the hash table from a file. The filename used is stored in the
25589 variable @code{spam-stat-file}.
25592 @defun spam-stat-score-word
25593 Return the spam score for a word.
25596 @defun spam-stat-score-buffer
25597 Return the spam score for a buffer.
25600 @defun spam-stat-split-fancy
25601 Use this function for fancy mail splitting. Add the rule @samp{(:
25602 spam-stat-split-fancy)} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
25605 Make sure you load the dictionary before using it. This requires the
25606 following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
25609 (require 'spam-stat)
25613 Typical test will involve calls to the following functions:
25616 Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
25617 Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
25618 Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
25619 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
25620 File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
25621 Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
25622 Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
25623 Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
25624 Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
25625 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
25626 File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
25627 Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
25628 Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
25629 Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
25632 Here is how you would create your dictionary:
25635 Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
25636 Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
25637 Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
25638 Repeat for any other non-spam group you need...
25639 Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
25640 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
25644 @section Interaction with other modes
25649 @code{gnus-dired-minor-mode} provides some useful functions for dired
25650 buffers. It is enabled with
25652 (add-hook 'dired-mode-hook 'turn-on-gnus-dired-mode)
25657 @findex gnus-dired-attach
25658 @cindex attachments, selection via dired
25659 Send dired's marked files as an attachment (@code{gnus-dired-attach}).
25660 You will be prompted for a message buffer.
25663 @findex gnus-dired-find-file-mailcap
25664 Visit a file according to the appropriate mailcap entry
25665 (@code{gnus-dired-find-file-mailcap}). With prefix, open file in a new
25669 @findex gnus-dired-print
25670 Print file according to the mailcap entry (@code{gnus-dired-print}). If
25671 there is no print command, print in a PostScript image.
25674 @node Various Various
25675 @section Various Various
25681 @item gnus-home-directory
25682 @vindex gnus-home-directory
25683 All Gnus file and directory variables will be initialized from this
25684 variable, which defaults to @file{~/}.
25686 @item gnus-directory
25687 @vindex gnus-directory
25688 Most Gnus storage file and directory variables will be initialized from
25689 this variable, which defaults to the @env{SAVEDIR} environment
25690 variable, or @file{~/News/} if that variable isn't set.
25692 Note that Gnus is mostly loaded when the @file{~/.gnus.el} file is read.
25693 This means that other directory variables that are initialized from this
25694 variable won't be set properly if you set this variable in
25695 @file{~/.gnus.el}. Set this variable in @file{.emacs} instead.
25697 @item gnus-default-directory
25698 @vindex gnus-default-directory
25699 Not related to the above variable at all---this variable says what the
25700 default directory of all Gnus buffers should be. If you issue commands
25701 like @kbd{C-x C-f}, the prompt you'll get starts in the current buffer's
25702 default directory. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
25703 default), the default directory will be the default directory of the
25704 buffer you were in when you started Gnus.
25707 @vindex gnus-verbose
25708 This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
25709 the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
25710 will never flash any messages, if it is seven (which is the default),
25711 most important messages will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever
25712 shut up, but will flash so many messages it will make your head swim.
25714 @item gnus-verbose-backends
25715 @vindex gnus-verbose-backends
25716 This variable works the same way as @code{gnus-verbose}, but it applies
25717 to the Gnus back ends instead of Gnus proper.
25719 @item gnus-add-timestamp-to-message
25720 @vindex gnus-add-timestamp-to-message
25721 This variable controls whether to add timestamps to messages that are
25722 controlled by @code{gnus-verbose} and @code{gnus-verbose-backends} and
25723 are issued. The default value is @code{nil} which means never to add
25724 timestamp. If it is @code{log}, add timestamps to only the messages
25725 that go into the @samp{*Messages*} buffer (in XEmacs, it is the
25726 @w{@samp{ *Message-Log*}} buffer). If it is neither @code{nil} nor
25727 @code{log}, add timestamps not only to log messages but also to the ones
25728 displayed in the echo area.
25730 @item nnheader-max-head-length
25731 @vindex nnheader-max-head-length
25732 When the back ends read straight heads of articles, they all try to read
25733 as little as possible. This variable (default 8192) specifies
25734 the absolute max length the back ends will try to read before giving up
25735 on finding a separator line between the head and the body. If this
25736 variable is @code{nil}, there is no upper read bound. If it is
25737 @code{t}, the back ends won't try to read the articles piece by piece,
25738 but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
25739 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs}.
25741 @item nnheader-head-chop-length
25742 @vindex nnheader-head-chop-length
25743 This variable (default 2048) says how big a piece of each article to
25744 read when doing the operation described above.
25746 @item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
25747 @vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
25749 @cindex invalid characters in file names
25750 @cindex characters in file names
25751 This is an alist that says how to translate characters in file names.
25752 For instance, if @samp{:} is invalid as a file character in file names
25753 on your system (you OS/2 user you), you could say something like:
25757 (setq nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
25762 In fact, this is the default value for this variable on OS/2 and MS
25763 Windows (phooey) systems.
25765 @item gnus-hidden-properties
25766 @vindex gnus-hidden-properties
25767 This is a list of properties to use to hide ``invisible'' text. It is
25768 @code{(invisible t intangible t)} by default on most systems, which
25769 makes invisible text invisible and intangible.
25771 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
25772 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
25773 A hook called before parsing headers. It can be used, for instance, to
25774 gather statistics on the headers fetched, or perhaps you'd like to prune
25775 some headers. I don't see why you'd want that, though.
25777 @item gnus-shell-command-separator
25778 @vindex gnus-shell-command-separator
25779 String used to separate two shell commands. The default is @samp{;}.
25781 @item gnus-invalid-group-regexp
25782 @vindex gnus-invalid-group-regexp
25784 Regexp to match ``invalid'' group names when querying user for a group
25785 name. The default value catches some @strong{really} invalid group
25786 names who could possibly mess up Gnus internally (like allowing
25787 @samp{:} in a group name, which is normally used to delimit method and
25790 @acronym{IMAP} users might want to allow @samp{/} in group names though.
25798 Well, that's the manual---you can get on with your life now. Keep in
25799 touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
25801 My @strong{ghod}---I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
25803 Ol' Charles Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
25809 Not because of victories @*
25812 but for the common sunshine,@*
25814 the largess of the spring.
25818 but for the day's work done@*
25819 as well as I was able;@*
25820 not for a seat upon the dais@*
25821 but at the common table.@*
25826 @chapter Appendices
25829 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
25830 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
25831 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
25832 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
25833 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
25834 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
25835 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
25836 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
25837 * Frequently Asked Questions:: The Gnus FAQ
25844 @cindex installing under XEmacs
25846 XEmacs is distributed as a collection of packages. You should install
25847 whatever packages the Gnus XEmacs package requires. The current
25848 requirements are @samp{gnus}, @samp{mail-lib}, @samp{xemacs-base},
25849 @samp{eterm}, @samp{sh-script}, @samp{net-utils}, @samp{os-utils},
25850 @samp{dired}, @samp{mh-e}, @samp{sieve}, @samp{ps-print}, @samp{W3},
25851 @samp{pgg}, @samp{mailcrypt}, @samp{ecrypto}, and @samp{sasl}.
25858 @sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
25859 '94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
25861 If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage,
25862 you can point your (feh!) web browser to
25863 @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/}. This is also the primary
25864 distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is
25865 known as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
25867 During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
25868 called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)} is, of course, short for
25869 @dfn{ding is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares?
25870 (Besides, the ``Gnus'' in this abbreviation should probably be
25871 pronounced ``news'' as @sc{Umeda} intended, which makes it a more
25872 appropriate name, don't you think?)
25874 In any case, after spending all that energy on coming up with a new and
25875 spunky name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spunky, so we
25876 renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
25877 ``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
25880 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
25881 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
25882 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
25883 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
25884 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
25885 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
25886 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
25887 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
25888 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
25892 @node Gnus Versions
25893 @subsection Gnus Versions
25895 @cindex September Gnus
25897 @cindex Quassia Gnus
25898 @cindex Pterodactyl Gnus
25901 @cindex Gnus versions
25903 The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
25904 was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution (132 (ding) Gnus releases
25905 plus 15 Gnus 5.0 releases).
25907 In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'' (after 99
25908 releases)) was released under the name ``Gnus 5.2'' (40 releases).
25910 On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun, and it was released on
25911 January 25th 1997 (after 84 releases) as ``Gnus 5.4'' (67 releases).
25913 On September 13th 1997, Quassia Gnus was started and lasted 37 releases.
25914 It was released as ``Gnus 5.6'' on March 8th 1998 (46 releases).
25916 Gnus 5.6 begat Pterodactyl Gnus on August 29th 1998 and was released as
25917 ``Gnus 5.8'' (after 99 releases and a CVS repository) on December 3rd
25920 On the 26th of October 2000, Oort Gnus was begun and was released as
25921 Gnus 5.10 on May 1st 2003 (24 releases).
25923 On the January 4th 2004, No Gnus was begun.
25925 If you happen upon a version of Gnus that has a prefixed name --
25926 ``(ding) Gnus'', ``September Gnus'', ``Red Gnus'', ``Quassia Gnus'',
25927 ``Pterodactyl Gnus'', ``Oort Gnus'', ``No Gnus'' -- don't panic.
25928 Don't let it know that you're frightened. Back away. Slowly. Whatever
25929 you do, don't run. Walk away, calmly, until you're out of its reach.
25930 Find a proper released version of Gnus and snuggle up to that instead.
25933 @node Other Gnus Versions
25934 @subsection Other Gnus Versions
25937 In addition to the versions of Gnus which have had their releases
25938 coordinated by Lars, one major development has been Semi-gnus from
25939 Japan. It's based on a library called @acronym{SEMI}, which provides
25940 @acronym{MIME} capabilities.
25942 These Gnusae are based mainly on Gnus 5.6 and Pterodactyl Gnus.
25943 Collectively, they are called ``Semi-gnus'', and different strains are
25944 called T-gnus, ET-gnus, Nana-gnus and Chaos. These provide powerful
25945 @acronym{MIME} and multilingualization things, especially important for
25952 What's the point of Gnus?
25954 I want to provide a ``rad'', ``happening'', ``way cool'' and ``hep''
25955 newsreader, that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my
25956 original motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to
25957 me that this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
25958 Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
25959 volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
25960 newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
25961 newsgroups that have thousands of new articles each day? How do you
25962 keep track of millions of people who post?
25964 Gnus offers no real solutions to these questions, but I would very much
25965 like to see Gnus being used as a testing ground for new methods of
25966 reading and fetching news. Expanding on @sc{Umeda}-san's wise decision
25967 to separate the newsreader from the back ends, Gnus now offers a simple
25968 interface for anybody who wants to write new back ends for fetching mail
25969 and news from different sources. I have added hooks for customizations
25970 everywhere I could imagine it being useful. By doing so, I'm inviting
25971 every one of you to explore and invent.
25973 May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-emacs} and
25974 @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-xemacs}.
25977 @node Compatibility
25978 @subsection Compatibility
25980 @cindex compatibility
25981 Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
25982 bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
25983 but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
25988 @center In a cloud bones of steel.
25992 All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
25995 The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @xref{Decoding
25998 One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
25999 buffers. All variables relevant while reading a group are
26000 buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although many
26001 important variables have their values copied into their global
26002 counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
26003 change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
26005 All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
26006 fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-alist} (or
26007 changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
26008 maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this alist (which
26009 speeds up many functions), and changing the alist directly will lead to
26013 @cindex highlighting
26014 Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
26015 remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
26016 (@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} and @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook}).
26017 Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting. These are
26018 faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody, Gnus will
26019 by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks. Uncleanliness!
26022 Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
26023 fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
26024 code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
26025 does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
26027 Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
26028 new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
26029 doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
26030 to stop doing it the old way.
26032 Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
26034 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
26036 @cindex reporting bugs
26038 Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
26039 @sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
26040 please let me know by issuing that magic command @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}.
26042 @vindex gnus-bug-create-help-buffer
26043 If you are in the habit of sending bug reports @emph{very} often, you
26044 may find the helpful help buffer annoying after a while. If so, set
26045 @code{gnus-bug-create-help-buffer} to @code{nil} to avoid having it pop
26050 @subsection Conformity
26052 No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
26053 to (wo)man. Except for those standards and/or conventions we disagree
26061 There are no known breaches of this standard.
26065 There are no known breaches of this standard, either.
26067 @item Son-of-RFC 1036
26068 @cindex Son-of-RFC 1036
26069 We do have some breaches to this one.
26075 These are considered to be ``vanity headers'', while I consider them
26076 to be consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted
26077 articles coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use
26078 either of those for posting articles. I would not have known that if
26079 it wasn't for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
26084 USEFOR is an IETF working group writing a successor to RFC 1036, based
26085 on Son-of-RFC 1036. They have produced a number of drafts proposing
26086 various changes to the format of news articles. The Gnus towers will
26087 look into implementing the changes when the draft is accepted as an RFC.
26089 @item MIME - RFC 2045-2049 etc
26090 @cindex @acronym{MIME}
26091 All the various @acronym{MIME} RFCs are supported.
26093 @item Disposition Notifications - RFC 2298
26094 Message Mode is able to request notifications from the receiver.
26096 @item PGP - RFC 1991 and RFC 2440
26099 RFC 1991 is the original @acronym{PGP} message specification,
26100 published as an informational RFC. RFC 2440 was the follow-up, now
26101 called Open PGP, and put on the Standards Track. Both document a
26102 non-@acronym{MIME} aware @acronym{PGP} format. Gnus supports both
26103 encoding (signing and encryption) and decoding (verification and
26106 @item PGP/MIME - RFC 2015/3156
26107 RFC 2015 (superseded by 3156 which references RFC 2440 instead of RFC
26108 1991) describes the @acronym{MIME}-wrapping around the RFC 1991/2440 format.
26109 Gnus supports both encoding and decoding.
26111 @item S/MIME - RFC 2633
26112 RFC 2633 describes the @acronym{S/MIME} format.
26114 @item IMAP - RFC 1730/2060, RFC 2195, RFC 2086, RFC 2359, RFC 2595, RFC 1731
26115 RFC 1730 is @acronym{IMAP} version 4, updated somewhat by RFC 2060
26116 (@acronym{IMAP} 4 revision 1). RFC 2195 describes CRAM-MD5
26117 authentication for @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 2086 describes access control
26118 lists (ACLs) for @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 2359 describes a @acronym{IMAP}
26119 protocol enhancement. RFC 2595 describes the proper @acronym{TLS}
26120 integration (STARTTLS) with @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 1731 describes the
26121 GSSAPI/Kerberos4 mechanisms for @acronym{IMAP}.
26125 If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliant with regards to the texts
26126 mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us
26131 @subsection Emacsen
26137 Gnus should work on:
26145 XEmacs 21.4 and up.
26149 This Gnus version will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than
26150 that. Not reliably, at least. Older versions of Gnus may work on older
26151 Emacs versions. Particularly, Gnus 5.10.8 should also work on Emacs
26152 20.7 and XEmacs 21.1.
26154 There are some vague differences between Gnus on the various
26155 platforms---XEmacs features more graphics (a logo and a toolbar)---but
26156 other than that, things should look pretty much the same under all
26160 @node Gnus Development
26161 @subsection Gnus Development
26163 Gnus is developed in a two-phased cycle. The first phase involves much
26164 discussion on the @samp{ding@@gnus.org} mailing list, where people
26165 propose changes and new features, post patches and new back ends. This
26166 phase is called the @dfn{alpha} phase, since the Gnusae released in this
26167 phase are @dfn{alpha releases}, or (perhaps more commonly in other
26168 circles) @dfn{snapshots}. During this phase, Gnus is assumed to be
26169 unstable and should not be used by casual users. Gnus alpha releases
26170 have names like ``Red Gnus'' and ``Quassia Gnus''.
26172 After futzing around for 50-100 alpha releases, Gnus is declared
26173 @dfn{frozen}, and only bug fixes are applied. Gnus loses the prefix,
26174 and is called things like ``Gnus 5.6.32'' instead. Normal people are
26175 supposed to be able to use these, and these are mostly discussed on the
26176 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} newsgroup.
26179 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
26180 Some variable defaults differ between alpha Gnusae and released Gnusae.
26181 In particular, @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} defaults to @code{nil} in
26182 alpha Gnusae and @code{t} in released Gnusae. This is to prevent
26183 lossage of mail if an alpha release hiccups while handling the mail.
26185 The division of discussion between the ding mailing list and the Gnus
26186 newsgroup is not purely based on publicity concerns. It's true that
26187 having people write about the horrible things that an alpha Gnus release
26188 can do (sometimes) in a public forum may scare people off, but more
26189 importantly, talking about new experimental features that have been
26190 introduced may confuse casual users. New features are frequently
26191 introduced, fiddled with, and judged to be found wanting, and then
26192 either discarded or totally rewritten. People reading the mailing list
26193 usually keep up with these rapid changes, while people on the newsgroup
26194 can't be assumed to do so.
26199 @subsection Contributors
26200 @cindex contributors
26202 The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
26203 people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for over a year I have
26204 gotten billions of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy,
26205 every single one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been
26206 tried beyond endurance, what with my ``oh, that's a neat idea <type
26207 type>, yup, I'll release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't
26208 work at all <type type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship
26209 off> no, wait, that absolutely does not work'' policy for releases.
26210 Micro$oft---bah. Amateurs. I'm @emph{much} worse. (Or is that
26211 ``worser''? ``much worser''? ``worsest''?)
26213 I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for@dots{} oops,
26219 Masanobu @sc{Umeda}---the writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
26222 Shenghuo Zhu---uudecode.el, mm-uu.el, rfc1843.el, webmail.el,
26223 nnwarchive and many, many other things connected with @acronym{MIME} and
26224 other types of en/decoding, as well as general bug fixing, new
26225 functionality and stuff.
26228 Per Abrahamsen---custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as
26229 well as numerous other things).
26232 Luis Fernandes---design and graphics.
26235 Joe Reiss---creator of the smiley faces.
26238 Justin Sheehy---the @acronym{FAQ} maintainer.
26241 Erik Naggum---help, ideas, support, code and stuff.
26244 Wes Hardaker---@file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on
26245 @dfn{picons} (@pxref{Picons}).
26248 Kim-Minh Kaplan---further work on the picon code.
26251 Brad Miller---@file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section.
26254 Sudish Joseph---innumerable bug fixes.
26257 Ilja Weis---@file{gnus-topic.el}.
26260 Steven L. Baur---lots and lots and lots of bugs detections and fixes.
26263 Vladimir Alexiev---the refcard and reference booklets.
26266 Felix Lee & Jamie Zawinski---I stole some pieces from the XGnus
26267 distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
26270 Scott Byer---@file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite.
26273 Peter Mutsaers---orphan article scoring code.
26276 Ken Raeburn---POP mail support.
26279 Hallvard B Furuseth---various bits and pieces, especially dealing with
26283 Brian Edmonds---@file{gnus-bbdb.el}.
26286 David Moore---rewrite of @file{nnvirtual.el} and many other things.
26289 Kevin Davidson---came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
26292 Fran@,{c}ois Pinard---many, many interesting and thorough bug reports, as
26293 well as autoconf support.
26297 This manual was proof-read by Adrian Aichner, with Ricardo Nassif, Mark
26298 Borges, and Jost Krieger proof-reading parts of the manual.
26300 The following people have contributed many patches and suggestions:
26315 Jason L. Tibbitts, III,
26317 Katsumi Yamaoka, @c Yamaoka
26321 Also thanks to the following for patches and stuff:
26331 Alexei V. Barantsev,
26346 Massimo Campostrini,
26351 Jae-you Chung, @c ?
26352 James H. Cloos, Jr.,
26356 Andrew J. Cosgriff,
26359 Geoffrey T. Dairiki,
26365 Michael Welsh Duggan,
26370 Enami Tsugutomo, @c Enami
26374 Nelson Jose dos Santos Ferreira,
26382 Arne Georg Gleditsch,
26384 Michelangelo Grigni,
26388 Kenichi Handa, @c Handa
26390 Yoshiki Hayashi, @c Hayashi
26392 Hisashige Kenji, @c Hisashige
26400 Fran@,{c}ois Felix Ingrand,
26401 Tatsuya Ichikawa, @c Ichikawa
26402 Ishikawa Ichiro, @c Ishikawa
26404 Iwamuro Motonori, @c Iwamuro
26414 Peter Skov Knudsen,
26415 Shuhei Kobayashi, @c Kobayashi
26417 Koseki Yoshinori, @c Koseki
26418 Thor Kristoffersen,
26421 Seokchan Lee, @c Lee
26439 Morioka Tomohiko, @c Morioka
26440 Erik Toubro Nielsen,
26447 Masaharu Onishi, @c Onishi
26452 Jens-Ulrik Holger Petersen,
26456 John McClary Prevost,
26462 Lars Balker Rasmussen,
26467 Christian von Roques,
26470 Wolfgang Rupprecht,
26477 Philippe Schnoebelen,
26479 Randal L. Schwartz,
26493 Kiyokazu Suto, @c Suto
26498 Tozawa Akihiko, @c Tozawa
26518 For a full overview of what each person has done, the ChangeLogs
26519 included in the Gnus alpha distributions should give ample reading
26520 (550kB and counting).
26522 Apologies to everybody that I've forgotten, of which there are many, I'm
26525 Gee, that's quite a list of people. I guess that must mean that there
26526 actually are people who are using Gnus. Who'd'a thunk it!
26530 @subsection New Features
26531 @cindex new features
26534 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
26535 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
26536 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
26537 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
26538 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
26539 * Oort Gnus:: It's big. It's far out. Gnus 5.10/5.11.
26540 * No Gnus:: Very punny.
26543 These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the
26544 @emph{most} important new features. No, really. There are tons more.
26545 Yes, we have feeping creaturism in full effect.
26548 @subsubsection (ding) Gnus
26550 New features in Gnus 5.0/5.1:
26555 The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
26556 (@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
26559 Local spool and several @acronym{NNTP} servers can be used at once
26560 (@pxref{Select Methods}).
26563 You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}).
26566 You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
26567 All the mail back ends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
26568 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
26571 Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
26572 their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads into one thread) or it
26573 can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
26574 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
26577 Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
26578 them as well (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
26581 Gnus can do partial group updates---you do not have to retrieve the
26582 entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
26583 (@pxref{The Active File}).
26586 Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
26587 (@pxref{Group Levels}).
26590 You can score articles according to any number of criteria
26591 (@pxref{Scoring}). You can even get Gnus to find out how to score
26592 articles for you (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
26595 Gnus maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
26596 manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
26597 read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
26600 Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{~/.gnus.el}) to avoid
26601 cluttering up the @file{.emacs} file.
26604 You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
26605 operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
26608 You can grep through a subset of groups and create a group from the
26609 results (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}).
26612 You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
26613 (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
26616 You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
26617 servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
26620 Gnus can fetch articles, asynchronously, on a second connection to the
26621 server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
26624 You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
26627 The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
26628 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
26631 You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
26632 of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
26635 Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
26636 glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
26639 Gnus can fetch @acronym{FAQ}s and group descriptions (@pxref{Group Information}).
26642 Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
26643 (@pxref{Document Groups}).
26646 Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
26650 URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article
26654 You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
26655 configuration (@pxref{Window Layout}).
26658 You can click on buttons instead of using the keyboard
26664 @node September Gnus
26665 @subsubsection September Gnus
26669 \gnusfig{-28cm}{0cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/september,height=20cm}}
26673 New features in Gnus 5.2/5.3:
26678 A new message composition mode is used. All old customization variables
26679 for @code{mail-mode}, @code{rnews-reply-mode} and @code{gnus-msg} are
26683 Gnus is now able to generate @dfn{sparse} threads---threads where
26684 missing articles are represented by empty nodes (@pxref{Customizing
26688 (setq gnus-build-sparse-threads 'some)
26692 Outgoing articles are stored on a special archive server
26693 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
26696 Partial thread regeneration now happens when articles are
26700 Gnus can make use of GroupLens predictions.
26703 Picons (personal icons) can be displayed under XEmacs (@pxref{Picons}).
26706 A @code{trn}-like tree buffer can be displayed (@pxref{Tree Display}).
26709 (setq gnus-use-trees t)
26713 An @code{nn}-like pick-and-read minor mode is available for the summary
26714 buffers (@pxref{Pick and Read}).
26717 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
26721 In binary groups you can use a special binary minor mode (@pxref{Binary
26725 Groups can be grouped in a folding topic hierarchy (@pxref{Group
26729 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
26733 Gnus can re-send and bounce mail (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
26736 Groups can now have a score, and bubbling based on entry frequency
26737 is possible (@pxref{Group Score}).
26740 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-exit-hook 'gnus-summary-bubble-group)
26744 Groups can be process-marked, and commands can be performed on
26745 groups of groups (@pxref{Marking Groups}).
26748 Caching is possible in virtual groups.
26751 @code{nndoc} now understands all kinds of digests, mail boxes, rnews
26752 news batches, ClariNet briefs collections, and just about everything
26753 else (@pxref{Document Groups}).
26756 Gnus has a new back end (@code{nnsoup}) to create/read SOUP packets
26760 The Gnus cache is much faster.
26763 Groups can be sorted according to many criteria (@pxref{Sorting
26767 New group parameters have been introduced to set list-addresses and
26768 expiry times (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
26771 All formatting specs allow specifying faces to be used
26772 (@pxref{Formatting Fonts}).
26775 There are several more commands for setting/removing/acting on process
26776 marked articles on the @kbd{M P} submap (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
26779 The summary buffer can be limited to show parts of the available
26780 articles based on a wide range of criteria. These commands have been
26781 bound to keys on the @kbd{/} submap (@pxref{Limiting}).
26784 Articles can be made persistent with the @kbd{*} command
26785 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
26788 All functions for hiding article elements are now toggles.
26791 Article headers can be buttonized (@pxref{Article Washing}).
26794 All mail back ends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}.
26797 Duplicate mail can now be treated properly (@pxref{Duplicates}).
26800 All summary mode commands are available directly from the article
26801 buffer (@pxref{Article Keymap}).
26804 Frames can be part of @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} (@pxref{Window
26808 Mail can be re-scanned by a daemonic process (@pxref{Daemons}).
26811 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}}
26816 Gnus can make use of NoCeM files to weed out spam (@pxref{NoCeM}).
26819 (setq gnus-use-nocem t)
26823 Groups can be made permanently visible (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
26826 (setq gnus-permanently-visible-groups "^nnml:")
26830 Many new hooks have been introduced to make customizing easier.
26833 Gnus respects the @code{Mail-Copies-To} header.
26836 Threads can be gathered by looking at the @code{References} header
26837 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
26840 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
26841 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
26845 Read articles can be stored in a special backlog buffer to avoid
26846 refetching (@pxref{Article Backlog}).
26849 (setq gnus-keep-backlog 50)
26853 A clean copy of the current article is always stored in a separate
26854 buffer to allow easier treatment.
26857 Gnus can suggest where to save articles (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
26860 Gnus doesn't have to do as much prompting when saving (@pxref{Saving
26864 (setq gnus-prompt-before-saving t)
26868 @code{gnus-uu} can view decoded files asynchronously while fetching
26869 articles (@pxref{Other Decode Variables}).
26872 (setq gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions 'gnus-uu-grab-view)
26876 Filling in the article buffer now works properly on cited text
26877 (@pxref{Article Washing}).
26880 Hiding cited text adds buttons to toggle hiding, and how much
26881 cited text to hide is now customizable (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
26884 (setq gnus-cited-lines-visible 2)
26888 Boring headers can be hidden (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
26891 Default scoring values can now be set from the menu bar.
26894 Further syntax checking of outgoing articles have been added.
26900 @subsubsection Red Gnus
26902 New features in Gnus 5.4/5.5:
26906 \gnusfig{-5.5cm}{-4cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/red,height=20cm}}
26913 @file{nntp.el} has been totally rewritten in an asynchronous fashion.
26916 Article prefetching functionality has been moved up into
26917 Gnus (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
26920 Scoring can now be performed with logical operators like @code{and},
26921 @code{or}, @code{not}, and parent redirection (@pxref{Advanced
26925 Article washing status can be displayed in the
26926 article mode line (@pxref{Misc Article}).
26929 @file{gnus.el} has been split into many smaller files.
26932 Suppression of duplicate articles based on Message-ID can be done
26933 (@pxref{Duplicate Suppression}).
26936 (setq gnus-suppress-duplicates t)
26940 New variables for specifying what score and adapt files are to be
26941 considered home score and adapt files (@pxref{Home Score File}) have
26945 @code{nndoc} was rewritten to be easily extendable (@pxref{Document
26946 Server Internals}).
26949 Groups can inherit group parameters from parent topics (@pxref{Topic
26953 Article editing has been revamped and is now actually usable.
26956 Signatures can be recognized in more intelligent fashions
26957 (@pxref{Article Signature}).
26960 Summary pick mode has been made to look more @code{nn}-like. Line
26961 numbers are displayed and the @kbd{.} command can be used to pick
26962 articles (@code{Pick and Read}).
26965 Commands for moving the @file{.newsrc.eld} from one server to
26966 another have been added (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
26969 There's a way now to specify that ``uninteresting'' fields be suppressed
26970 when generating lines in buffers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting}).
26973 Several commands in the group buffer can be undone with @kbd{C-M-_}
26977 Scoring can be done on words using the new score type @code{w}
26978 (@pxref{Score File Format}).
26981 Adaptive scoring can be done on a Subject word-by-word basis
26982 (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
26985 (setq gnus-use-adaptive-scoring '(word))
26989 Scores can be decayed (@pxref{Score Decays}).
26992 (setq gnus-decay-scores t)
26996 Scoring can be performed using a regexp on the Date header. The Date is
26997 normalized to compact ISO 8601 format first (@pxref{Score File Format}).
27000 A new command has been added to remove all data on articles from
27001 the native server (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
27004 A new command for reading collections of documents
27005 (@code{nndoc} with @code{nnvirtual} on top) has been added---@kbd{C-M-d}
27006 (@pxref{Really Various Summary Commands}).
27009 Process mark sets can be pushed and popped (@pxref{Setting Process
27013 A new mail-to-news back end makes it possible to post even when the @acronym{NNTP}
27014 server doesn't allow posting (@pxref{Mail-To-News Gateways}).
27017 A new back end for reading searches from Web search engines
27018 (@dfn{DejaNews}, @dfn{Alta Vista}, @dfn{InReference}) has been added
27019 (@pxref{Web Searches}).
27022 Groups inside topics can now be sorted using the standard sorting
27023 functions, and each topic can be sorted independently (@pxref{Topic
27027 Subsets of the groups can be sorted independently (@code{Sorting
27031 Cached articles can be pulled into the groups (@pxref{Summary Generation
27035 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}}
27040 Score files are now applied in a more reliable order (@pxref{Score
27044 Reports on where mail messages end up can be generated (@pxref{Splitting
27048 More hooks and functions have been added to remove junk from incoming
27049 mail before saving the mail (@pxref{Washing Mail}).
27052 Emphasized text can be properly fontisized:
27058 @subsubsection Quassia Gnus
27060 New features in Gnus 5.6:
27065 New functionality for using Gnus as an offline newsreader has been
27066 added. A plethora of new commands and modes have been added.
27067 @xref{Gnus Unplugged}, for the full story.
27070 The @code{nndraft} back end has returned, but works differently than
27071 before. All Message buffers are now also articles in the @code{nndraft}
27072 group, which is created automatically.
27075 @code{gnus-alter-header-function} can now be used to alter header
27079 @code{gnus-summary-goto-article} now accept Message-ID's.
27082 A new Message command for deleting text in the body of a message
27083 outside the region: @kbd{C-c C-v}.
27086 You can now post to component group in @code{nnvirtual} groups with
27090 @code{nntp-rlogin-program}---new variable to ease customization.
27093 @code{C-u C-c C-c} in @code{gnus-article-edit-mode} will now inhibit
27094 re-highlighting of the article buffer.
27097 New element in @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}---@code{long-to}.
27100 @kbd{M-i} symbolic prefix command. @xref{Symbolic Prefixes}, for
27104 @kbd{L} and @kbd{I} in the summary buffer now take the symbolic prefix
27105 @kbd{a} to add the score rule to the @file{all.SCORE} file.
27108 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions} variable to allow greater
27109 control over simplification.
27112 @kbd{A T}---new command for fetching the current thread.
27115 @kbd{/ T}---new command for including the current thread in the
27119 @kbd{M-RET} is a new Message command for breaking cited text.
27122 @samp{\\1}-expressions are now valid in @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
27125 The @code{custom-face-lookup} function has been removed.
27126 If you used this function in your initialization files, you must
27127 rewrite them to use @code{face-spec-set} instead.
27130 Canceling now uses the current select method. Symbolic prefix
27131 @kbd{a} forces normal posting method.
27134 New command to translate M******** sm*rtq**t*s into proper
27138 For easier debugging of @code{nntp}, you can set
27139 @code{nntp-record-commands} to a non-@code{nil} value.
27142 @code{nntp} now uses @file{~/.authinfo}, a @file{.netrc}-like file, for
27143 controlling where and how to send @sc{authinfo} to @acronym{NNTP} servers.
27146 A command for editing group parameters from the summary buffer
27150 A history of where mails have been split is available.
27153 A new article date command has been added---@code{article-date-iso8601}.
27156 Subjects can be simplified when threading by setting
27157 @code{gnus-score-thread-simplify}.
27160 A new function for citing in Message has been
27161 added---@code{message-cite-original-without-signature}.
27164 @code{article-strip-all-blank-lines}---new article command.
27167 A new Message command to kill to the end of the article has
27171 A minimum adaptive score can be specified by using the
27172 @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} variable.
27175 The ``lapsed date'' article header can be kept continually
27176 updated by the @code{gnus-start-date-timer} command.
27179 Web listserv archives can be read with the @code{nnlistserv} back end.
27182 Old dejanews archives can now be read by @code{nnweb}.
27186 @node Pterodactyl Gnus
27187 @subsubsection Pterodactyl Gnus
27189 New features in Gnus 5.8:
27194 The mail-fetching functions have changed. See the manual for the
27195 many details. In particular, all procmail fetching variables are gone.
27197 If you used procmail like in
27200 (setq nnmail-use-procmail t)
27201 (setq nnmail-spool-file 'procmail)
27202 (setq nnmail-procmail-directory "~/mail/incoming/")
27203 (setq nnmail-procmail-suffix "\\.in")
27206 this now has changed to
27210 '((directory :path "~/mail/incoming/"
27214 @xref{Mail Source Specifiers}.
27217 Gnus is now a @acronym{MIME}-capable reader. This affects many parts of
27218 Gnus, and adds a slew of new commands. See the manual for details.
27221 Gnus has also been multilingualized. This also affects too
27222 many parts of Gnus to summarize here, and adds many new variables.
27225 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} can now be a function to be
27226 called to position point.
27229 The user can now decide which extra headers should be included in
27230 summary buffers and @acronym{NOV} files.
27233 @code{gnus-article-display-hook} has been removed. Instead, a number
27234 of variables starting with @code{gnus-treat-} have been added.
27237 The Gnus posting styles have been redone again and now works in a
27238 subtly different manner.
27241 New web-based back ends have been added: @code{nnslashdot},
27242 @code{nnwarchive} and @code{nnultimate}. nnweb has been revamped,
27243 again, to keep up with ever-changing layouts.
27246 Gnus can now read @acronym{IMAP} mail via @code{nnimap}.
27251 @subsubsection Oort Gnus
27254 New features in Gnus 5.10:
27258 @item Installation changes
27259 @c ***********************
27263 Upgrading from previous (stable) version if you have used Oort.
27265 If you have tried Oort (the unstable Gnus branch leading to this
27266 release) but went back to a stable version, be careful when upgrading to
27267 this version. In particular, you will probably want to remove all
27268 @file{.marks} (nnml) and @file{.mrk} (nnfolder) files, so that flags are
27269 read from your @file{.newsrc.eld} instead of from the
27270 @file{.marks}/@file{.mrk} file where this release store flags. See a
27271 later entry for more information about marks. Note that downgrading
27272 isn't save in general.
27275 Lisp files are now installed in @file{.../site-lisp/gnus/} by default.
27276 It defaulted to @file{.../site-lisp/} formerly. In addition to this,
27277 the new installer issues a warning if other Gnus installations which
27278 will shadow the latest one are detected. You can then remove those
27279 shadows manually or remove them using @code{make
27280 remove-installed-shadows}.
27283 New @file{make.bat} for compiling and installing Gnus under MS Windows
27285 Use @file{make.bat} if you want to install Gnus under MS Windows, the
27286 first argument to the batch-program should be the directory where
27287 @file{xemacs.exe} respectively @file{emacs.exe} is located, if you want
27288 to install Gnus after compiling it, give @file{make.bat} @code{/copy} as
27289 the second parameter.
27291 @file{make.bat} has been rewritten from scratch, it now features
27292 automatic recognition of XEmacs and GNU Emacs, generates
27293 @file{gnus-load.el}, checks if errors occur while compilation and
27294 generation of info files and reports them at the end of the build
27295 process. It now uses @code{makeinfo} if it is available and falls
27296 back to @file{infohack.el} otherwise. @file{make.bat} should now
27297 install all files which are necessary to run Gnus and be generally a
27298 complete replacement for the @code{configure; make; make install}
27299 cycle used under Unix systems.
27301 The new @file{make.bat} makes @file{make-x.bat} and @file{xemacs.mak}
27302 superfluous, so they have been removed.
27305 @file{~/News/overview/} not used.
27307 As a result of the following change, the @file{~/News/overview/}
27308 directory is not used any more. You can safely delete the entire
27311 @c FIXME: `gnus-load' is mentioned in README, which is not included in
27312 @c CVS. We should find a better place for this item.
27314 @code{(require 'gnus-load)}
27316 If you use a stand-alone Gnus distribution, you'd better add
27317 @code{(require 'gnus-load)} into your @file{~/.emacs} after adding the Gnus
27318 lisp directory into load-path.
27320 File @file{gnus-load.el} contains autoload commands, functions and variables,
27321 some of which may not be included in distributions of Emacsen.
27325 @item New packages and libraries within Gnus
27326 @c *****************************************
27331 The revised Gnus @acronym{FAQ} is included in the manual,
27332 @xref{Frequently Asked Questions}.
27335 @acronym{TLS} wrapper shipped with Gnus
27337 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} is now supported in @acronym{IMAP} and
27338 @acronym{NNTP} via @file{tls.el} and GNUTLS. The old
27339 @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} support via (external third party)
27340 @file{ssl.el} and OpenSSL still works.
27343 Improved anti-spam features.
27345 Gnus is now able to take out spam from your mail and news streams
27346 using a wide variety of programs and filter rules. Among the supported
27347 methods are RBL blocklists, bogofilter and white/blacklists. Hooks
27348 for easy use of external packages such as SpamAssassin and Hashcash
27349 are also new. @ref{Thwarting Email Spam} and @ref{Spam Package}.
27350 @c FIXME: @xref{Spam Package}?. Should this be under Misc?
27353 Gnus supports server-side mail filtering using Sieve.
27355 Sieve rules can be added as Group Parameters for groups, and the
27356 complete Sieve script is generated using @kbd{D g} from the Group
27357 buffer, and then uploaded to the server using @kbd{C-c C-l} in the
27358 generated Sieve buffer. @xref{Sieve Commands}, and the new Sieve
27359 manual @ref{Top, , Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
27363 @item Changes in group mode
27364 @c ************************
27369 @code{gnus-group-read-ephemeral-group} can be called interactively,
27373 Retrieval of charters and control messages
27375 There are new commands for fetching newsgroup charters (@kbd{H c}) and
27376 control messages (@kbd{H C}).
27379 The new variable @code{gnus-parameters} can be used to set group parameters.
27381 Earlier this was done only via @kbd{G p} (or @kbd{G c}), which stored
27382 the parameters in @file{~/.newsrc.eld}, but via this variable you can
27383 enjoy the powers of customize, and simplified backups since you set the
27384 variable in @file{~/.gnus.el} instead of @file{~/.newsrc.eld}. The
27385 variable maps regular expressions matching group names to group
27388 (setq gnus-parameters
27390 (gnus-show-threads nil)
27391 (gnus-use-scoring nil))
27392 ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
27393 (to-group . "\\1"))))
27397 Unread count correct in nnimap groups.
27399 The estimated number of unread articles in the group buffer should now
27400 be correct for nnimap groups. This is achieved by calling
27401 @code{nnimap-fixup-unread-after-getting-new-news} from the
27402 @code{gnus-setup-news-hook} (called on startup) and
27403 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook}. (called after getting new
27404 mail). If you have modified those variables from the default, you may
27405 want to add @code{nnimap-fixup-unread-after-getting-new-news} again. If
27406 you were happy with the estimate and want to save some (minimal) time
27407 when getting new mail, remove the function.
27410 Group names are treated as UTF-8 by default.
27412 This is supposedly what USEFOR wanted to migrate to. See
27413 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist} and
27414 @code{gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist} for customization.
27417 @code{gnus-group-charset-alist} and
27418 @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
27420 The regexps in these variables are compared with full group names
27421 instead of real group names in 5.8. Users who customize these
27422 variables should change those regexps accordingly. For example:
27424 ("^han\\>" euc-kr) -> ("\\(^\\|:\\)han\\>" euc-kr)
27429 @item Changes in summary and article mode
27430 @c **************************************
27435 @kbd{F} (@code{gnus-article-followup-with-original}) and @kbd{R}
27436 (@code{gnus-article-reply-with-original}) only yank the text in the
27437 region if the region is active.
27440 In draft groups, @kbd{e} is now bound to @code{gnus-draft-edit-message}.
27441 Use @kbd{B w} for @code{gnus-summary-edit-article} instead.
27446 More buttons for URLs, mail addresses, Message-IDs, Info links, man
27447 pages and Emacs or Gnus related references. @xref{Article Buttons}. The
27448 variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} can be used to control the
27449 appearance of all article buttons. @xref{Article Button Levels}.
27452 Single-part yenc encoded attachments can be decoded.
27457 The picons code has been reimplemented to work in GNU Emacs---some of
27458 the previous options have been removed or renamed.
27460 Picons are small ``personal icons'' representing users, domain and
27461 newsgroups, which can be displayed in the Article buffer.
27465 If the new option @code{gnus-treat-body-boundary} is non-@code{nil}, a
27466 boundary line is drawn at the end of the headers.
27469 Signed article headers (X-PGP-Sig) can be verified with @kbd{W p}.
27472 The Summary Buffer uses an arrow in the fringe to indicate the current
27473 article. Use @code{(setq gnus-summary-display-arrow nil)} to disable it.
27476 Warn about email replies to news
27478 Do you often find yourself replying to news by email by mistake? Then
27479 the new option @code{gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news} is just the thing for
27483 If the new option @code{gnus-summary-display-while-building} is
27484 non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer is shown and updated as it's being
27488 The new @code{recent} mark @samp{.} indicates newly arrived messages (as
27489 opposed to old but unread messages).
27492 Gnus supports RFC 2369 mailing list headers, and adds a number of
27493 related commands in mailing list groups. @xref{Mailing List}.
27496 The Date header can be displayed in a format that can be read aloud
27497 in English. @xref{Article Date}.
27500 diffs are automatically highlighted in groups matching
27501 @code{mm-uu-diff-groups-regexp}
27504 Better handling of Microsoft citation styles
27506 Gnus now tries to recognize the mangled header block that some Microsoft
27507 mailers use to indicate that the rest of the message is a citation, even
27508 though it is not quoted in any way. The variable
27509 @code{gnus-cite-unsightly-citation-regexp} matches the start of these
27512 The new command @kbd{W Y f}
27513 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article}) allows deuglifying broken
27514 Outlook (Express) articles.
27517 @code{gnus-article-skip-boring}
27519 If you set @code{gnus-article-skip-boring} to @code{t}, then Gnus will
27520 not scroll down to show you a page that contains only boring text,
27521 which by default means cited text and signature. You can customize
27522 what is skippable using @code{gnus-article-boring-faces}.
27524 This feature is especially useful if you read many articles that
27525 consist of a little new content at the top with a long, untrimmed
27526 message cited below.
27529 Smileys (@samp{:-)}, @samp{;-)} etc) are now displayed graphically in
27532 Put @code{(setq gnus-treat-display-smileys nil)} in @file{~/.gnus.el} to
27536 Face headers handling. @xref{Face}.
27539 In the summary buffer, the new command @kbd{/ N} inserts new messages
27540 and @kbd{/ o} inserts old messages.
27543 Gnus decodes morse encoded messages if you press @kbd{W m}.
27546 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}
27548 The default value changed to @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%)
27549 %s\n}. Moreover @code{gnus-extra-headers},
27550 @code{nnmail-extra-headers} and @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses}
27551 changed their default so that the users name will be replaced by the
27552 recipient's name or the group name posting to for @acronym{NNTP}
27556 Deleting of attachments.
27558 The command @code{gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip} (bound to @kbd{C-o}
27559 on @acronym{MIME} buttons) saves a part and replaces the part with an
27560 external one. @code{gnus-mime-delete-part} (bound to @kbd{d} on
27561 @acronym{MIME} buttons) removes a part. It works only on back ends
27562 that support editing.
27565 @code{gnus-default-charset}
27567 The default value is determined from the
27568 @code{current-language-environment} variable, instead of
27569 @code{iso-8859-1}. Also the @samp{.*} item in
27570 @code{gnus-group-charset-alist} is removed.
27573 Printing capabilities are enhanced.
27575 Gnus supports Muttprint natively with @kbd{O P} from the Summary and
27576 Article buffers. Also, each individual @acronym{MIME} part can be
27577 printed using @kbd{p} on the @acronym{MIME} button.
27580 Extended format specs.
27582 Format spec @samp{%&user-date;} is added into
27583 @code{gnus-summary-line-format-alist}. Also, user defined extended
27584 format specs are supported. The extended format specs look like
27585 @samp{%u&foo;}, which invokes function
27586 @code{gnus-user-format-function-@var{foo}}. Because @samp{&} is used as the
27587 escape character, old user defined format @samp{%u&} is no longer supported.
27590 @kbd{/ *} (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}) is rewritten.
27591 @c FIXME: Was this a user-visible change?
27593 It was aliased to @kbd{Y c}
27594 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}). The new function filters
27595 out other articles.
27598 Some limiting commands accept a @kbd{C-u} prefix to negate the match.
27600 If @kbd{C-u} is used on subject, author or extra headers, i.e., @kbd{/
27601 s}, @kbd{/ a}, and @kbd{/ x}
27602 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-@{subject,author,extra@}}) respectively, the
27603 result will be to display all articles that do not match the expression.
27606 Gnus inlines external parts (message/external).
27610 @item Changes in Message mode and related Gnus features
27611 @c ****************************************************
27618 You can delay the sending of a message with @kbd{C-c C-j} in the Message
27619 buffer. The messages are delivered at specified time. This is useful
27620 for sending yourself reminders. @xref{Delayed Articles}.
27623 If the new option @code{nnml-use-compressed-files} is non-@code{nil},
27624 the nnml back end allows compressed message files.
27627 The new option @code{gnus-gcc-mark-as-read} automatically marks
27628 Gcc articles as read.
27631 Externalizing of attachments
27633 If @code{gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments} or
27634 @code{message-fcc-externalize-attachments} is non-@code{nil}, attach
27635 local files as external parts.
27638 The envelope sender address can be customized when using Sendmail.
27639 @xref{Mail Variables, Mail Variables,, message, Message Manual}.
27642 Gnus no longer generate the Sender: header automatically.
27644 Earlier it was generated when the user configurable email address was
27645 different from the Gnus guessed default user address. As the guessing
27646 algorithm is rarely correct these days, and (more controversially) the
27647 only use of the Sender: header was to check if you are entitled to
27648 cancel/supersede news (which is now solved by Cancel Locks instead,
27649 see another entry), generation of the header has been disabled by
27650 default. See the variables @code{message-required-headers},
27651 @code{message-required-news-headers}, and
27652 @code{message-required-mail-headers}.
27655 Features from third party @file{message-utils.el} added to @file{message.el}.
27657 Message now asks if you wish to remove @samp{(was: <old subject>)} from
27658 subject lines (see @code{message-subject-trailing-was-query}). @kbd{C-c
27659 M-m} and @kbd{C-c M-f} inserts markers indicating included text.
27660 @kbd{C-c C-f a} adds a X-No-Archive: header. @kbd{C-c C-f x} inserts
27661 appropriate headers and a note in the body for cross-postings and
27662 followups (see the variables @code{message-cross-post-@var{*}}).
27665 References and X-Draft-From headers are no longer generated when you
27666 start composing messages and @code{message-generate-headers-first} is
27670 Easy inclusion of X-Faces headers. @xref{X-Face}.
27673 Group Carbon Copy (GCC) quoting
27675 To support groups that contains SPC and other weird characters, groups
27676 are quoted before they are placed in the Gcc: header. This means
27677 variables such as @code{gnus-message-archive-group} should no longer
27678 contain quote characters to make groups containing SPC work. Also, if
27679 you are using the string @samp{nnml:foo, nnml:bar} (indicating Gcc
27680 into two groups) you must change it to return the list
27681 @code{("nnml:foo" "nnml:bar")}, otherwise the Gcc: line will be quoted
27682 incorrectly. Note that returning the string @samp{nnml:foo, nnml:bar}
27683 was incorrect earlier, it just didn't generate any problems since it
27684 was inserted directly.
27687 @code{message-insinuate-rmail}
27689 Adding @code{(message-insinuate-rmail)} and @code{(setq
27690 mail-user-agent 'gnus-user-agent)} in @file{.emacs} convinces Rmail to
27691 compose, reply and forward messages in message-mode, where you can
27692 enjoy the power of @acronym{MML}.
27695 @code{message-minibuffer-local-map}
27697 The line below enables BBDB in resending a message:
27699 (define-key message-minibuffer-local-map [(tab)]
27700 'bbdb-complete-name)
27704 @code{gnus-posting-styles}
27706 Add a new format of match like
27708 ((header "to" "larsi.*org")
27709 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
27711 The old format like the lines below is obsolete, but still accepted.
27713 (header "to" "larsi.*org"
27714 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
27718 @code{message-ignored-news-headers} and @code{message-ignored-mail-headers}
27720 @samp{X-Draft-From} and @samp{X-Gnus-Agent-Meta-Information} have been
27721 added into these two variables. If you customized those, perhaps you
27722 need add those two headers too.
27725 Gnus supports the ``format=flowed'' (RFC 2646) parameter. On
27726 composing messages, it is enabled by @code{use-hard-newlines}.
27727 Decoding format=flowed was present but not documented in earlier
27731 The option @code{mm-fill-flowed} can be used to disable treatment of
27732 ``format=flowed'' messages. Also, flowed text is disabled when sending
27733 inline PGP signed messages. @xref{Flowed text, , Flowed text,
27734 emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}. (New in Gnus 5.10.7)
27735 @c This entry is also present in the node "No Gnus".
27738 Gnus supports the generation of RFC 2298 Disposition Notification requests.
27740 This is invoked with the @kbd{C-c M-n} key binding from message mode.
27743 Message supports the Importance: (RFC 2156) header.
27745 In the message buffer, @kbd{C-c C-f C-i} or @kbd{C-c C-u} cycles through
27749 Gnus supports Cancel Locks in News.
27751 This means a header @samp{Cancel-Lock} is inserted in news posting. It is
27752 used to determine if you wrote an article or not (for canceling and
27753 superseding). Gnus generates a random password string the first time
27754 you post a message, and saves it in your @file{~/.emacs} using the Custom
27755 system. While the variable is called @code{canlock-password}, it is not
27756 security sensitive data. Publishing your canlock string on the web
27757 will not allow anyone to be able to anything she could not already do.
27758 The behavior can be changed by customizing @code{message-insert-canlock}.
27761 Gnus supports @acronym{PGP} (RFC 1991/2440), @acronym{PGP/MIME} (RFC
27762 2015/3156) and @acronym{S/MIME} (RFC 2630-2633).
27764 It needs an external @acronym{S/MIME} and OpenPGP implementation, but no
27765 additional Lisp libraries. This add several menu items to the
27766 Attachments menu, and @kbd{C-c RET} key bindings, when composing
27767 messages. This also obsoletes @code{gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook}.
27770 @acronym{MML} (Mime compose) prefix changed from @kbd{M-m} to @kbd{C-c
27773 This change was made to avoid conflict with the standard binding of
27774 @code{back-to-indentation}, which is also useful in message mode.
27777 The default for @code{message-forward-show-mml} changed to the symbol
27780 The behavior for the @code{best} value is to show @acronym{MML} (i.e.,
27781 convert to @acronym{MIME}) when appropriate. @acronym{MML} will not be
27782 used when forwarding signed or encrypted messages, as the conversion
27783 invalidate the digital signature.
27786 If @code{auto-compression-mode} is enabled, attachments are automatically
27787 decompressed when activated.
27788 @c FIXME: Does this affect article or message mode?
27791 Support for non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names
27793 Message supports non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names in From:, To: and
27794 Cc: and will query you whether to perform encoding when you try to
27795 send a message. The variable @code{message-use-idna} controls this.
27796 Gnus will also decode non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names in From:, To:
27797 and Cc: when you view a message. The variable @code{gnus-use-idna}
27800 @item You can now drag and drop attachments to the Message buffer.
27801 See @code{mml-dnd-protocol-alist} and @code{mml-dnd-attach-options}.
27802 @xref{MIME, ,MIME, message, Message Manual}.
27803 @c New in 5.10.9 / 5.11
27807 @item Changes in back ends
27808 @c ***********************
27812 Gnus can display RSS newsfeeds as a newsgroup. @xref{RSS}.
27815 The nndoc back end now supports mailman digests and exim bounces.
27818 Gnus supports Maildir groups.
27820 Gnus includes a new back end @file{nnmaildir.el}. @xref{Maildir}.
27823 The nnml and nnfolder back ends store marks for each groups.
27825 This makes it possible to take backup of nnml/nnfolder servers/groups
27826 separately of @file{~/.newsrc.eld}, while preserving marks. It also
27827 makes it possible to share articles and marks between users (without
27828 sharing the @file{~/.newsrc.eld} file) within e.g. a department. It
27829 works by storing the marks stored in @file{~/.newsrc.eld} in a per-group
27830 file @file{.marks} (for nnml) and @file{@var{groupname}.mrk} (for
27831 nnfolder, named @var{groupname}). If the nnml/nnfolder is moved to
27832 another machine, Gnus will automatically use the @file{.marks} or
27833 @file{.mrk} file instead of the information in @file{~/.newsrc.eld}.
27834 The new server variables @code{nnml-marks-is-evil} and
27835 @code{nnfolder-marks-is-evil} can be used to disable this feature.
27845 The menu bar item (in Group and Summary buffer) named ``Misc'' has
27846 been renamed to ``Gnus''.
27849 The menu bar item (in Message mode) named ``@acronym{MML}'' has been
27850 renamed to ``Attachments''. Note that this menu also contains security
27851 related stuff, like signing and encryption (@pxref{Security, Security,,
27852 message, Message Manual}).
27855 The tool bars have been updated to use GNOME icons in Group, Summary and
27856 Message mode. You can also customize the tool bars. This is a new
27857 feature in Gnus 5.10.9. (Only for Emacs, not in XEmacs.)
27859 @item The tool bar icons are now (de)activated correctly
27860 in the group buffer, see the variable @code{gnus-group-update-tool-bar}.
27861 Its default value depends on your Emacs version. This is a new feature
27866 @item Miscellaneous changes
27867 @c ************************
27874 The Gnus Agent has seen a major updated and is now enabled by default,
27875 and all nntp and nnimap servers from @code{gnus-select-method} and
27876 @code{gnus-secondary-select-method} are agentized by default. Earlier
27877 only the server in @code{gnus-select-method} was agentized by the
27878 default, and the agent was disabled by default. When the agent is
27879 enabled, headers are now also retrieved from the Agent cache instead
27880 of the back ends when possible. Earlier this only happened in the
27881 unplugged state. You can enroll or remove servers with @kbd{J a} and
27882 @kbd{J r} in the server buffer. Gnus will not download articles into
27883 the Agent cache, unless you instruct it to do so, though, by using
27884 @kbd{J u} or @kbd{J s} from the Group buffer. You revert to the old
27885 behavior of having the Agent disabled with @code{(setq gnus-agent
27886 nil)}. Note that putting @code{(gnus-agentize)} in @file{~/.gnus.el}
27887 is not needed any more.
27890 Gnus reads the @acronym{NOV} and articles in the Agent if plugged.
27892 If one reads an article while plugged, and the article already exists
27893 in the Agent, it won't get downloaded once more. @code{(setq
27894 gnus-agent-cache nil)} reverts to the old behavior.
27899 @code{gnus-dired-minor-mode} (see @ref{Other modes}) installs key
27900 bindings in dired buffers to send a file as an attachment, open a file
27901 using the appropriate mailcap entry, and print a file using the mailcap
27905 The format spec @code{%C} for positioning point has changed to @code{%*}.
27908 @code{gnus-slave-unplugged}
27910 A new command which starts Gnus offline in slave mode.
27917 @subsubsection No Gnus
27920 New features in No Gnus:
27921 @c FIXME: Gnus 5.12?
27923 @include gnus-news.texi
27929 @section The Manual
27933 This manual was generated from a TeXinfo file and then run through
27934 either @code{texi2dvi}
27936 or my own home-brewed TeXinfo to \LaTeX\ transformer,
27937 and then run through @code{latex} and @code{dvips}
27939 to get what you hold in your hands now.
27941 The following conventions have been used:
27946 This is a @samp{string}
27949 This is a @kbd{keystroke}
27952 This is a @file{file}
27955 This is a @code{symbol}
27959 So if I were to say ``set @code{flargnoze} to @samp{yes}'', that would
27963 (setq flargnoze "yes")
27966 If I say ``set @code{flumphel} to @code{yes}'', that would mean:
27969 (setq flumphel 'yes)
27972 @samp{yes} and @code{yes} are two @emph{very} different things---don't
27973 ever get them confused.
27977 Of course, everything in this manual is of vital interest, so you should
27978 read it all. Several times. However, if you feel like skimming the
27979 manual, look for that gnu head you should see in the margin over
27980 there---it means that what's being discussed is of more importance than
27981 the rest of the stuff. (On the other hand, if everything is infinitely
27982 important, how can anything be more important than that? Just one more
27983 of the mysteries of this world, I guess.)
27989 @node On Writing Manuals
27990 @section On Writing Manuals
27992 I guess most manuals are written after-the-fact; documenting a program
27993 that's already there. This is not how this manual is written. When
27994 implementing something, I write the manual entry for that something
27995 straight away. I then see that it's difficult to explain the
27996 functionality, so I write how it's supposed to be, and then I change the
27997 implementation. Writing the documentation and writing the code go hand
28000 This, of course, means that this manual has no, or little, flow. It
28001 documents absolutely everything in Gnus, but often not where you're
28002 looking for it. It is a reference manual, and not a guide to how to get
28005 That would be a totally different book, that should be written using the
28006 reference manual as source material. It would look quite different.
28011 @section Terminology
28013 @cindex terminology
28018 This is what you are supposed to use this thing for---reading news.
28019 News is generally fetched from a nearby @acronym{NNTP} server, and is
28020 generally publicly available to everybody. If you post news, the entire
28021 world is likely to read just what you have written, and they'll all
28022 snigger mischievously. Behind your back.
28026 Everything that's delivered to you personally is mail. Some news/mail
28027 readers (like Gnus) blur the distinction between mail and news, but
28028 there is a difference. Mail is private. News is public. Mailing is
28029 not posting, and replying is not following up.
28033 Send a mail to the person who has written what you are reading.
28037 Post an article to the current newsgroup responding to the article you
28042 Gnus considers mail and news to be mostly the same, really. The only
28043 difference is how to access the actual articles. News articles are
28044 commonly fetched via the protocol @acronym{NNTP}, whereas mail
28045 messages could be read from a file on the local disk. The internal
28046 architecture of Gnus thus comprises a ``front end'' and a number of
28047 ``back ends''. Internally, when you enter a group (by hitting
28048 @key{RET}, say), you thereby invoke a function in the front end in
28049 Gnus. The front end then ``talks'' to a back end and says things like
28050 ``Give me the list of articles in the foo group'' or ``Show me article
28053 So a back end mainly defines either a protocol (the @code{nntp} back
28054 end accesses news via @acronym{NNTP}, the @code{nnimap} back end
28055 accesses mail via @acronym{IMAP}) or a file format and directory
28056 layout (the @code{nnspool} back end accesses news via the common
28057 ``spool directory'' format, the @code{nnml} back end access mail via a
28058 file format and directory layout that's quite similar).
28060 Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak---this is all
28061 done by the back ends. A back end is a collection of functions to
28062 access the articles.
28064 However, sometimes the term ``back end'' is also used where ``server''
28065 would have been more appropriate. And then there is the term ``select
28066 method'' which can mean either. The Gnus terminology can be quite
28071 Gnus will always use one method (and back end) as the @dfn{native}, or
28072 default, way of getting news.
28076 You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same time.
28077 These are groups that use non-native non-secondary back ends for getting
28082 Secondary back ends are somewhere half-way between being native and being
28083 foreign, but they mostly act like they are native.
28087 A message that has been posted as news.
28090 @cindex mail message
28091 A message that has been mailed.
28095 A mail message or news article
28099 The top part of a message, where administrative information (etc.) is
28104 The rest of an article. Everything not in the head is in the
28109 A line from the head of an article.
28113 A collection of such lines, or a collection of heads. Or even a
28114 collection of @acronym{NOV} lines.
28116 @item @acronym{NOV}
28117 @cindex @acronym{NOV}
28118 @acronym{NOV} stands for News OverView, which is a type of news server
28119 header which provide datas containing the condensed header information
28120 of articles. They are produced by the server itself; in the @code{nntp}
28121 back end Gnus uses the ones that the @acronym{NNTP} server makes, but
28122 Gnus makes them by itself for some backends (in particular, @code{nnml}).
28124 When Gnus enters a group, it asks the back end for the headers of all
28125 unread articles in the group. Most servers support the News OverView
28126 format, which is more compact and much faster to read and parse than the
28127 normal @sc{head} format.
28129 The @acronym{NOV} data consist of one or more text lines (@pxref{Text
28130 Lines, ,Motion by Text Lines, elisp, The Emacs Lisp Reference Manual})
28131 where each line has the header information of one article. The header
28132 information is a tab-separated series of the header's contents including
28133 an article number, a subject, an author, a date, a message-id,
28136 Those data enable Gnus to generate summary lines quickly. However, if
28137 the server does not support @acronym{NOV} or you disable it purposely or
28138 for some reason, Gnus will try to generate the header information by
28139 parsing each article's headers one by one. It will take time.
28140 Therefore, it is not usually a good idea to set nn*-nov-is-evil
28141 (@pxref{Slow/Expensive Connection}) to a non-@code{nil} value unless you
28142 know that the server makes wrong @acronym{NOV} data.
28146 Each group is subscribed at some @dfn{level} or other (1-9). The ones
28147 that have a lower level are ``more'' subscribed than the groups with a
28148 higher level. In fact, groups on levels 1-5 are considered
28149 @dfn{subscribed}; 6-7 are @dfn{unsubscribed}; 8 are @dfn{zombies}; and 9
28150 are @dfn{killed}. Commands for listing groups and scanning for new
28151 articles will all use the numeric prefix as @dfn{working level}.
28153 @item killed groups
28154 @cindex killed groups
28155 No information on killed groups is stored or updated, which makes killed
28156 groups much easier to handle than subscribed groups.
28158 @item zombie groups
28159 @cindex zombie groups
28160 Just like killed groups, only slightly less dead.
28163 @cindex active file
28164 The news server has to keep track of what articles it carries, and what
28165 groups exist. All this information in stored in the active file, which
28166 is rather large, as you might surmise.
28169 @cindex bogus groups
28170 A group that exists in the @file{.newsrc} file, but isn't known to the
28171 server (i.e., it isn't in the active file), is a @emph{bogus group}.
28172 This means that the group probably doesn't exist (any more).
28175 @cindex activating groups
28176 The act of asking the server for info on a group and computing the
28177 number of unread articles is called @dfn{activating the group}.
28178 Un-activated groups are listed with @samp{*} in the group buffer.
28182 News servers store their articles locally in one fashion or other.
28183 One old-fashioned storage method is to have just one file per
28184 article. That's called a ``traditional spool''.
28188 A machine one can connect to and get news (or mail) from.
28190 @item select method
28191 @cindex select method
28192 A structure that specifies the back end, the server and the virtual
28195 @item virtual server
28196 @cindex virtual server
28197 A named select method. Since a select method defines all there is to
28198 know about connecting to a (physical) server, taking the thing as a
28199 whole is a virtual server.
28203 Taking a buffer and running it through a filter of some sort. The
28204 result will (more often than not) be cleaner and more pleasing than the
28207 @item ephemeral groups
28208 @cindex ephemeral groups
28209 @cindex temporary groups
28210 Most groups store data on what articles you have read. @dfn{Ephemeral}
28211 groups are groups that will have no data stored---when you exit the
28212 group, it'll disappear into the aether.
28215 @cindex solid groups
28216 This is the opposite of ephemeral groups. All groups listed in the
28217 group buffer are solid groups.
28219 @item sparse articles
28220 @cindex sparse articles
28221 These are article placeholders shown in the summary buffer when
28222 @code{gnus-build-sparse-threads} has been switched on.
28226 To put responses to articles directly after the articles they respond
28227 to---in a hierarchical fashion.
28231 @cindex thread root
28232 The first article in a thread is the root. It is the ancestor of all
28233 articles in the thread.
28237 An article that has responses.
28241 An article that responds to a different article---its parent.
28245 A collection of messages in one file. The most common digest format is
28246 specified by RFC 1153.
28249 @cindex splitting, terminology
28250 @cindex mail sorting
28251 @cindex mail filtering (splitting)
28252 The action of sorting your emails according to certain rules. Sometimes
28253 incorrectly called mail filtering.
28259 @node Customization
28260 @section Customization
28261 @cindex general customization
28263 All variables are properly documented elsewhere in this manual. This
28264 section is designed to give general pointers on how to customize Gnus
28265 for some quite common situations.
28268 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
28269 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
28270 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
28271 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
28275 @node Slow/Expensive Connection
28276 @subsection Slow/Expensive Connection
28278 If you run Emacs on a machine locally, and get your news from a machine
28279 over some very thin strings, you want to cut down on the amount of data
28280 Gnus has to get from the server.
28284 @item gnus-read-active-file
28285 Set this to @code{nil}, which will inhibit Gnus from requesting the
28286 entire active file from the server. This file is often very large. You
28287 also have to set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
28288 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make sure that Gnus
28289 doesn't suddenly decide to fetch the active file anyway.
28291 @item gnus-nov-is-evil
28292 @vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
28293 Usually this one must @emph{always} be @code{nil} (which is the
28294 default). If, for example, you wish to not use @acronym{NOV}
28295 (@pxref{Terminology}) with the @code{nntp} back end (@pxref{Crosspost
28296 Handling}), set @code{nntp-nov-is-evil} to a non-@code{nil} value
28297 instead of setting this. But you normally do not need to set
28298 @code{nntp-nov-is-evil} since Gnus by itself will detect whether the
28299 @acronym{NNTP} server supports @acronym{NOV}. Anyway, grabbing article
28300 headers from the @acronym{NNTP} server will not be very fast if you tell
28301 Gnus not to use @acronym{NOV}.
28303 As the variables for the other back ends, there are
28304 @code{nndiary-nov-is-evil}, @code{nndir-nov-is-evil},
28305 @code{nnfolder-nov-is-evil}, @code{nnimap-nov-is-evil},
28306 @code{nnml-nov-is-evil}, @code{nnspool-nov-is-evil}, and
28307 @code{nnwarchive-nov-is-evil}. Note that a non-@code{nil} value for
28308 @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} overrides all those variables.@footnote{Although
28309 the back ends @code{nnkiboze}, @code{nnslashdot}, @code{nnultimate}, and
28310 @code{nnwfm} don't have their own nn*-nov-is-evil.}
28314 @node Slow Terminal Connection
28315 @subsection Slow Terminal Connection
28317 Let's say you use your home computer for dialing up the system that runs
28318 Emacs and Gnus. If your modem is slow, you want to reduce (as much as
28319 possible) the amount of data sent over the wires.
28323 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
28324 Set this to @code{nil} to inhibit Gnus from re-centering the summary
28325 buffer all the time. If it is @code{vertical}, do only vertical
28326 re-centering. If it is neither @code{nil} nor @code{vertical}, do both
28327 horizontal and vertical recentering.
28329 @item gnus-visible-headers
28330 Cut down on the headers included in the articles to the
28331 minimum. You can, in fact, make do without them altogether---most of the
28332 useful data is in the summary buffer, anyway. Set this variable to
28333 @samp{^NEVVVVER} or @samp{From:}, or whatever you feel you need.
28335 Use the following to enable all the available hiding features:
28337 (setq gnus-treat-hide-headers 'head
28338 gnus-treat-hide-signature t
28339 gnus-treat-hide-citation t)
28342 @item gnus-use-full-window
28343 By setting this to @code{nil}, you can make all the windows smaller.
28344 While this doesn't really cut down much generally, it means that you
28345 have to see smaller portions of articles before deciding that you didn't
28346 want to read them anyway.
28348 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
28349 If this is non-@code{nil}, all threads in the summary buffer will be
28353 @item gnus-updated-mode-lines
28354 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not put information in the buffer mode
28355 lines, which might save some time.
28359 @node Little Disk Space
28360 @subsection Little Disk Space
28363 The startup files can get rather large, so you may want to cut their
28364 sizes a bit if you are running out of space.
28368 @item gnus-save-newsrc-file
28369 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never save @file{.newsrc}---it will
28370 only save @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
28371 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
28374 @item gnus-read-newsrc-file
28375 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never read @file{.newsrc}---it will
28376 only read @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
28377 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
28380 @item gnus-save-killed-list
28381 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not save the list of dead groups. You
28382 should also set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{ask-server}
28383 and @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} if you set this
28384 variable to @code{nil}. This variable is @code{t} by default.
28390 @subsection Slow Machine
28391 @cindex slow machine
28393 If you have a slow machine, or are just really impatient, there are a
28394 few things you can do to make Gnus run faster.
28396 Set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
28397 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make startup faster.
28399 Set @code{gnus-show-threads}, @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} and
28400 @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{nil} to make entering and exiting the
28401 summary buffer faster. Also @pxref{Slow/Expensive Connection}.
28405 @node Troubleshooting
28406 @section Troubleshooting
28407 @cindex troubleshooting
28409 Gnus works @emph{so} well straight out of the box---I can't imagine any
28417 Make sure your computer is switched on.
28420 Make sure that you really load the current Gnus version. If you have
28421 been running @sc{gnus}, you need to exit Emacs and start it up again before
28425 Try doing an @kbd{M-x gnus-version}. If you get something that looks
28427 @samp{Gnus v5.13} @c Adjust ../Makefile.in if you change this line!
28429 you have the right files loaded. Otherwise you have some old @file{.el}
28430 files lying around. Delete these.
28433 Read the help group (@kbd{G h} in the group buffer) for a
28434 @acronym{FAQ} and a how-to.
28437 @vindex max-lisp-eval-depth
28438 Gnus works on many recursive structures, and in some extreme (and very
28439 rare) cases Gnus may recurse down ``too deeply'' and Emacs will beep at
28440 you. If this happens to you, set @code{max-lisp-eval-depth} to 500 or
28441 something like that.
28444 If all else fails, report the problem as a bug.
28447 @cindex reporting bugs
28449 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
28451 If you find a bug in Gnus, you can report it with the @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}
28452 command. @kbd{M-x set-variable RET debug-on-error RET t RET}, and send
28453 me the backtrace. I will fix bugs, but I can only fix them if you send
28454 me a precise description as to how to reproduce the bug.
28456 You really can never be too detailed in a bug report. Always use the
28457 @kbd{M-x gnus-bug} command when you make bug reports, even if it creates
28458 a 10Kb mail each time you use it, and even if you have sent me your
28459 environment 500 times before. I don't care. I want the full info each
28462 It is also important to remember that I have no memory whatsoever. If
28463 you send a bug report, and I send you a reply, and then you just send
28464 back ``No, it's not! Moron!'', I will have no idea what you are
28465 insulting me about. Always over-explain everything. It's much easier
28466 for all of us---if I don't have all the information I need, I will just
28467 mail you and ask for more info, and everything takes more time.
28469 If the problem you're seeing is very visual, and you can't quite explain
28470 it, copy the Emacs window to a file (with @code{xwd}, for instance), put
28471 it somewhere it can be reached, and include the URL of the picture in
28475 If you would like to contribute a patch to fix bugs or make
28476 improvements, please produce the patch using @samp{diff -u}.
28479 If you want to debug your problem further before reporting, possibly
28480 in order to solve the problem yourself and send a patch, you can use
28481 edebug. Debugging Lisp code is documented in the Elisp manual
28482 (@pxref{Debugging, , Debugging Lisp Programs, elisp, The GNU Emacs
28483 Lisp Reference Manual}). To get you started with edebug, consider if
28484 you discover some weird behavior when pressing @kbd{c}, the first
28485 step is to do @kbd{C-h k c} and click on the hyperlink (Emacs only) in
28486 the documentation buffer that leads you to the function definition,
28487 then press @kbd{M-x edebug-defun RET} with point inside that function,
28488 return to Gnus and press @kbd{c} to invoke the code. You will be
28489 placed in the lisp buffer and can single step using @kbd{SPC} and
28490 evaluate expressions using @kbd{M-:} or inspect variables using
28491 @kbd{C-h v}, abort execution with @kbd{q}, and resume execution with
28492 @kbd{c} or @kbd{g}.
28497 Sometimes, a problem do not directly generate an elisp error but
28498 manifests itself by causing Gnus to be very slow. In these cases, you
28499 can use @kbd{M-x toggle-debug-on-quit} and press @kbd{C-g} when things are
28500 slow, and then try to analyze the backtrace (repeating the procedure
28501 helps isolating the real problem areas).
28503 A fancier approach is to use the elisp profiler, ELP. The profiler is
28504 (or should be) fully documented elsewhere, but to get you started
28505 there are a few steps that need to be followed. First, instrument the
28506 part of Gnus you are interested in for profiling, e.g. @kbd{M-x
28507 elp-instrument-package RET gnus} or @kbd{M-x elp-instrument-package
28508 RET message}. Then perform the operation that is slow and press
28509 @kbd{M-x elp-results}. You will then see which operations that takes
28510 time, and can debug them further. If the entire operation takes much
28511 longer than the time spent in the slowest function in the profiler
28512 output, you probably profiled the wrong part of Gnus. To reset
28513 profiling statistics, use @kbd{M-x elp-reset-all}. @kbd{M-x
28514 elp-restore-all} is supposed to remove profiling, but given the
28515 complexities and dynamic code generation in Gnus, it might not always
28518 @cindex gnu.emacs.gnus
28519 @cindex ding mailing list
28520 If you just need help, you are better off asking on
28521 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}. I'm not very helpful. You can also ask on
28522 @email{ding@@gnus.org, the ding mailing list}. Write to
28523 @email{ding-request@@gnus.org} to subscribe.
28527 @node Gnus Reference Guide
28528 @section Gnus Reference Guide
28530 It is my hope that other people will figure out smart stuff that Gnus
28531 can do, and that other people will write those smart things as well. To
28532 facilitate that I thought it would be a good idea to describe the inner
28533 workings of Gnus. And some of the not-so-inner workings, while I'm at
28536 You can never expect the internals of a program not to change, but I
28537 will be defining (in some details) the interface between Gnus and its
28538 back ends (this is written in stone), the format of the score files
28539 (ditto), data structures (some are less likely to change than others)
28540 and general methods of operation.
28543 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
28544 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
28545 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
28546 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
28547 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
28548 * Group Info:: The group info format.
28549 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
28550 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
28551 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
28555 @node Gnus Utility Functions
28556 @subsection Gnus Utility Functions
28557 @cindex Gnus utility functions
28558 @cindex utility functions
28560 @cindex internal variables
28562 When writing small functions to be run from hooks (and stuff), it's
28563 vital to have access to the Gnus internal functions and variables.
28564 Below is a list of the most common ones.
28568 @item gnus-newsgroup-name
28569 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-name
28570 This variable holds the name of the current newsgroup.
28572 @item gnus-find-method-for-group
28573 @findex gnus-find-method-for-group
28574 A function that returns the select method for @var{group}.
28576 @item gnus-group-real-name
28577 @findex gnus-group-real-name
28578 Takes a full (prefixed) Gnus group name, and returns the unprefixed
28581 @item gnus-group-prefixed-name
28582 @findex gnus-group-prefixed-name
28583 Takes an unprefixed group name and a select method, and returns the full
28584 (prefixed) Gnus group name.
28586 @item gnus-get-info
28587 @findex gnus-get-info
28588 Returns the group info list for @var{group}.
28590 @item gnus-group-unread
28591 @findex gnus-group-unread
28592 The number of unread articles in @var{group}, or @code{t} if that is
28596 @findex gnus-active
28597 The active entry for @var{group}.
28599 @item gnus-set-active
28600 @findex gnus-set-active
28601 Set the active entry for @var{group}.
28603 @item gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
28604 @findex gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
28605 Adds the current buffer to the list of buffers to be killed on Gnus
28608 @item gnus-continuum-version
28609 @findex gnus-continuum-version
28610 Takes a Gnus version string as a parameter and returns a floating point
28611 number. Earlier versions will always get a lower number than later
28614 @item gnus-group-read-only-p
28615 @findex gnus-group-read-only-p
28616 Says whether @var{group} is read-only or not.
28618 @item gnus-news-group-p
28619 @findex gnus-news-group-p
28620 Says whether @var{group} came from a news back end.
28622 @item gnus-ephemeral-group-p
28623 @findex gnus-ephemeral-group-p
28624 Says whether @var{group} is ephemeral or not.
28626 @item gnus-server-to-method
28627 @findex gnus-server-to-method
28628 Returns the select method corresponding to @var{server}.
28630 @item gnus-server-equal
28631 @findex gnus-server-equal
28632 Says whether two virtual servers are equal.
28634 @item gnus-group-native-p
28635 @findex gnus-group-native-p
28636 Says whether @var{group} is native or not.
28638 @item gnus-group-secondary-p
28639 @findex gnus-group-secondary-p
28640 Says whether @var{group} is secondary or not.
28642 @item gnus-group-foreign-p
28643 @findex gnus-group-foreign-p
28644 Says whether @var{group} is foreign or not.
28646 @item gnus-group-find-parameter
28647 @findex gnus-group-find-parameter
28648 Returns the parameter list of @var{group}. If given a second parameter,
28649 returns the value of that parameter for @var{group}.
28651 @item gnus-group-set-parameter
28652 @findex gnus-group-set-parameter
28653 Takes three parameters; @var{group}, @var{parameter} and @var{value}.
28655 @item gnus-narrow-to-body
28656 @findex gnus-narrow-to-body
28657 Narrows the current buffer to the body of the article.
28659 @item gnus-check-backend-function
28660 @findex gnus-check-backend-function
28661 Takes two parameters, @var{function} and @var{group}. If the back end
28662 @var{group} comes from supports @var{function}, return non-@code{nil}.
28665 (gnus-check-backend-function "request-scan" "nnml:misc")
28669 @item gnus-read-method
28670 @findex gnus-read-method
28671 Prompts the user for a select method.
28676 @node Back End Interface
28677 @subsection Back End Interface
28679 Gnus doesn't know anything about @acronym{NNTP}, spools, mail or virtual
28680 groups. It only knows how to talk to @dfn{virtual servers}. A virtual
28681 server is a @dfn{back end} and some @dfn{back end variables}. As examples
28682 of the first, we have @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and @code{nnmbox}. As
28683 examples of the latter we have @code{nntp-port-number} and
28684 @code{nnmbox-directory}.
28686 When Gnus asks for information from a back end---say @code{nntp}---on
28687 something, it will normally include a virtual server name in the
28688 function parameters. (If not, the back end should use the ``current''
28689 virtual server.) For instance, @code{nntp-request-list} takes a virtual
28690 server as its only (optional) parameter. If this virtual server hasn't
28691 been opened, the function should fail.
28693 Note that a virtual server name has no relation to some physical server
28694 name. Take this example:
28698 (nntp-address "ifi.uio.no")
28699 (nntp-port-number 4324))
28702 Here the virtual server name is @samp{odd-one} while the name of
28703 the physical server is @samp{ifi.uio.no}.
28705 The back ends should be able to switch between several virtual servers.
28706 The standard back ends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual
28707 server environments that they pull down/push up when needed.
28709 There are two groups of interface functions: @dfn{required functions},
28710 which must be present, and @dfn{optional functions}, which Gnus will
28711 always check for presence before attempting to call 'em.
28713 All these functions are expected to return data in the buffer
28714 @code{nntp-server-buffer} (@samp{ *nntpd*}), which is somewhat
28715 unfortunately named, but we'll have to live with it. When I talk about
28716 @dfn{resulting data}, I always refer to the data in that buffer. When I
28717 talk about @dfn{return value}, I talk about the function value returned by
28718 the function call. Functions that fail should return @code{nil} as the
28721 Some back ends could be said to be @dfn{server-forming} back ends, and
28722 some might be said not to be. The latter are back ends that generally
28723 only operate on one group at a time, and have no concept of ``server''
28724 ---they have a group, and they deliver info on that group and nothing
28727 Gnus identifies each message by way of group name and article number. A
28728 few remarks about these article numbers might be useful. First of all,
28729 the numbers are positive integers. Secondly, it is normally not
28730 possible for later articles to ``re-use'' older article numbers without
28731 confusing Gnus. That is, if a group has ever contained a message
28732 numbered 42, then no other message may get that number, or Gnus will get
28733 mightily confused.@footnote{See the function
28734 @code{nnchoke-request-update-info}, @ref{Optional Back End Functions}.}
28735 Third, article numbers must be assigned in order of arrival in the
28736 group; this is not necessarily the same as the date of the message.
28738 The previous paragraph already mentions all the ``hard'' restrictions that
28739 article numbers must fulfill. But it seems that it might be useful to
28740 assign @emph{consecutive} article numbers, for Gnus gets quite confused
28741 if there are holes in the article numbering sequence. However, due to
28742 the ``no-reuse'' restriction, holes cannot be avoided altogether. It's
28743 also useful for the article numbers to start at 1 to avoid running out
28744 of numbers as long as possible.
28746 Note that by convention, back ends are named @code{nnsomething}, but
28747 Gnus also comes with some @code{nnnotbackends}, such as
28748 @file{nnheader.el}, @file{nnmail.el} and @file{nnoo.el}.
28750 In the examples and definitions I will refer to the imaginary back end
28753 @cindex @code{nnchoke}
28756 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
28757 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
28758 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
28759 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
28760 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
28761 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
28765 @node Required Back End Functions
28766 @subsubsection Required Back End Functions
28770 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-headers ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FETCH-OLD)
28772 @var{articles} is either a range of article numbers or a list of
28773 @code{Message-ID}s. Current back ends do not fully support either---only
28774 sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most back ends do not support
28775 retrieval of @code{Message-ID}s. But they should try for both.
28777 The result data should either be HEADs or @acronym{NOV} lines, and the result
28778 value should either be @code{headers} or @code{nov} to reflect this.
28779 This might later be expanded to @code{various}, which will be a mixture
28780 of HEADs and @acronym{NOV} lines, but this is currently not supported by Gnus.
28782 If @var{fetch-old} is non-@code{nil} it says to try fetching ``extra
28783 headers'', in some meaning of the word. This is generally done by
28784 fetching (at most) @var{fetch-old} extra headers less than the smallest
28785 article number in @code{articles}, and filling the gaps as well. The
28786 presence of this parameter can be ignored if the back end finds it
28787 cumbersome to follow the request. If this is non-@code{nil} and not a
28788 number, do maximum fetches.
28790 Here's an example HEAD:
28793 221 1056 Article retrieved.
28794 Path: ifi.uio.no!sturles
28795 From: sturles@@ifi.uio.no (Sturle Sunde)
28796 Newsgroups: ifi.discussion
28797 Subject: Re: Something very droll
28798 Date: 27 Oct 1994 14:02:57 +0100
28799 Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
28801 Message-ID: <38o8e1$a0o@@holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no>
28802 References: <38jdmq$4qu@@visbur.ifi.uio.no>
28803 NNTP-Posting-Host: holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no
28807 So a @code{headers} return value would imply that there's a number of
28808 these in the data buffer.
28810 Here's a BNF definition of such a buffer:
28814 head = error / valid-head
28815 error-message = [ "4" / "5" ] 2number " " <error message> eol
28816 valid-head = valid-message *header "." eol
28817 valid-message = "221 " <number> " Article retrieved." eol
28818 header = <text> eol
28822 (The version of BNF used here is the one used in RFC822.)
28824 If the return value is @code{nov}, the data buffer should contain
28825 @dfn{network overview database} lines. These are basically fields
28829 nov-buffer = *nov-line
28830 nov-line = field 7*8[ <TAB> field ] eol
28831 field = <text except TAB>
28834 For a closer look at what should be in those fields,
28838 @item (nnchoke-open-server SERVER &optional DEFINITIONS)
28840 @var{server} is here the virtual server name. @var{definitions} is a
28841 list of @code{(VARIABLE VALUE)} pairs that define this virtual server.
28843 If the server can't be opened, no error should be signaled. The back end
28844 may then choose to refuse further attempts at connecting to this
28845 server. In fact, it should do so.
28847 If the server is opened already, this function should return a
28848 non-@code{nil} value. There should be no data returned.
28851 @item (nnchoke-close-server &optional SERVER)
28853 Close connection to @var{server} and free all resources connected
28854 to it. Return @code{nil} if the server couldn't be closed for some
28857 There should be no data returned.
28860 @item (nnchoke-request-close)
28862 Close connection to all servers and free all resources that the back end
28863 have reserved. All buffers that have been created by that back end
28864 should be killed. (Not the @code{nntp-server-buffer}, though.) This
28865 function is generally only called when Gnus is shutting down.
28867 There should be no data returned.
28870 @item (nnchoke-server-opened &optional SERVER)
28872 If @var{server} is the current virtual server, and the connection to the
28873 physical server is alive, then this function should return a
28874 non-@code{nil} value. This function should under no circumstances
28875 attempt to reconnect to a server we have lost connection to.
28877 There should be no data returned.
28880 @item (nnchoke-status-message &optional SERVER)
28882 This function should return the last error message from @var{server}.
28884 There should be no data returned.
28887 @item (nnchoke-request-article ARTICLE &optional GROUP SERVER TO-BUFFER)
28889 The result data from this function should be the article specified by
28890 @var{article}. This might either be a @code{Message-ID} or a number.
28891 It is optional whether to implement retrieval by @code{Message-ID}, but
28892 it would be nice if that were possible.
28894 If @var{to-buffer} is non-@code{nil}, the result data should be returned
28895 in this buffer instead of the normal data buffer. This is to make it
28896 possible to avoid copying large amounts of data from one buffer to
28897 another, while Gnus mainly requests articles to be inserted directly
28898 into its article buffer.
28900 If it is at all possible, this function should return a cons cell where
28901 the @code{car} is the group name the article was fetched from, and the @code{cdr} is
28902 the article number. This will enable Gnus to find out what the real
28903 group and article numbers are when fetching articles by
28904 @code{Message-ID}. If this isn't possible, @code{t} should be returned
28905 on successful article retrieval.
28908 @item (nnchoke-request-group GROUP &optional SERVER FAST)
28910 Get data on @var{group}. This function also has the side effect of
28911 making @var{group} the current group.
28913 If @var{fast}, don't bother to return useful data, just make @var{group}
28916 Here's an example of some result data and a definition of the same:
28919 211 56 1000 1059 ifi.discussion
28922 The first number is the status, which should be 211. Next is the
28923 total number of articles in the group, the lowest article number, the
28924 highest article number, and finally the group name. Note that the total
28925 number of articles may be less than one might think while just
28926 considering the highest and lowest article numbers, but some articles
28927 may have been canceled. Gnus just discards the total-number, so
28928 whether one should take the bother to generate it properly (if that is a
28929 problem) is left as an exercise to the reader. If the group contains no
28930 articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1 and the
28934 group-status = [ error / info ] eol
28935 error = [ "4" / "5" ] 2<number> " " <Error message>
28936 info = "211 " 3* [ <number> " " ] <string>
28940 @item (nnchoke-close-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
28942 Close @var{group} and free any resources connected to it. This will be
28943 a no-op on most back ends.
28945 There should be no data returned.
28948 @item (nnchoke-request-list &optional SERVER)
28950 Return a list of all groups available on @var{server}. And that means
28953 Here's an example from a server that only carries two groups:
28956 ifi.test 0000002200 0000002000 y
28957 ifi.discussion 3324 3300 n
28960 On each line we have a group name, then the highest article number in
28961 that group, the lowest article number, and finally a flag. If the group
28962 contains no articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1
28963 and the highest as 0.
28966 active-file = *active-line
28967 active-line = name " " <number> " " <number> " " flags eol
28969 flags = "n" / "y" / "m" / "x" / "j" / "=" name
28972 The flag says whether the group is read-only (@samp{n}), is moderated
28973 (@samp{m}), is dead (@samp{x}), is aliased to some other group
28974 (@samp{=other-group}) or none of the above (@samp{y}).
28977 @item (nnchoke-request-post &optional SERVER)
28979 This function should post the current buffer. It might return whether
28980 the posting was successful or not, but that's not required. If, for
28981 instance, the posting is done asynchronously, it has generally not been
28982 completed by the time this function concludes. In that case, this
28983 function should set up some kind of sentinel to beep the user loud and
28984 clear if the posting could not be completed.
28986 There should be no result data from this function.
28991 @node Optional Back End Functions
28992 @subsubsection Optional Back End Functions
28996 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-groups GROUPS &optional SERVER)
28998 @var{groups} is a list of groups, and this function should request data
28999 on all those groups. How it does it is of no concern to Gnus, but it
29000 should attempt to do this in a speedy fashion.
29002 The return value of this function can be either @code{active} or
29003 @code{group}, which says what the format of the result data is. The
29004 former is in the same format as the data from
29005 @code{nnchoke-request-list}, while the latter is a buffer full of lines
29006 in the same format as @code{nnchoke-request-group} gives.
29009 group-buffer = *active-line / *group-status
29013 @item (nnchoke-request-update-info GROUP INFO &optional SERVER)
29015 A Gnus group info (@pxref{Group Info}) is handed to the back end for
29016 alterations. This comes in handy if the back end really carries all
29017 the information (as is the case with virtual and imap groups). This
29018 function should destructively alter the info to suit its needs, and
29019 should return a non-@code{nil} value (exceptionally,
29020 @code{nntp-request-update-info} always returns @code{nil} not to waste
29021 the network resources).
29023 There should be no result data from this function.
29026 @item (nnchoke-request-type GROUP &optional ARTICLE)
29028 When the user issues commands for ``sending news'' (@kbd{F} in the
29029 summary buffer, for instance), Gnus has to know whether the article the
29030 user is following up on is news or mail. This function should return
29031 @code{news} if @var{article} in @var{group} is news, @code{mail} if it
29032 is mail and @code{unknown} if the type can't be decided. (The
29033 @var{article} parameter is necessary in @code{nnvirtual} groups which
29034 might very well combine mail groups and news groups.) Both @var{group}
29035 and @var{article} may be @code{nil}.
29037 There should be no result data from this function.
29040 @item (nnchoke-request-set-mark GROUP ACTION &optional SERVER)
29042 Set/remove/add marks on articles. Normally Gnus handles the article
29043 marks (such as read, ticked, expired etc) internally, and store them in
29044 @file{~/.newsrc.eld}. Some back ends (such as @acronym{IMAP}) however carry
29045 all information about the articles on the server, so Gnus need to
29046 propagate the mark information to the server.
29048 @var{action} is a list of mark setting requests, having this format:
29051 (RANGE ACTION MARK)
29054 @var{range} is a range of articles you wish to update marks on.
29055 @var{action} is @code{add} or @code{del}, used to add marks or remove
29056 marks (preserving all marks not mentioned). @var{mark} is a list of
29057 marks; where each mark is a symbol. Currently used marks are
29058 @code{read}, @code{tick}, @code{reply}, @code{expire}, @code{killed},
29059 @code{dormant}, @code{save}, @code{download}, @code{unsend},
29060 @code{forward} and @code{recent}, but your back end should, if
29061 possible, not limit itself to these.
29063 Given contradictory actions, the last action in the list should be the
29064 effective one. That is, if your action contains a request to add the
29065 @code{tick} mark on article 1 and, later in the list, a request to
29066 remove the mark on the same article, the mark should in fact be removed.
29068 An example action list:
29071 (((5 12 30) 'del '(tick))
29072 ((10 . 90) 'add '(read expire))
29073 ((92 94) 'del '(read)))
29076 The function should return a range of articles it wasn't able to set the
29077 mark on (currently not used for anything).
29079 There should be no result data from this function.
29081 @item (nnchoke-request-update-mark GROUP ARTICLE MARK)
29083 If the user tries to set a mark that the back end doesn't like, this
29084 function may change the mark. Gnus will use whatever this function
29085 returns as the mark for @var{article} instead of the original
29086 @var{mark}. If the back end doesn't care, it must return the original
29087 @var{mark}, and not @code{nil} or any other type of garbage.
29089 The only use for this I can see is what @code{nnvirtual} does with
29090 it---if a component group is auto-expirable, marking an article as read
29091 in the virtual group should result in the article being marked as
29094 There should be no result data from this function.
29097 @item (nnchoke-request-scan &optional GROUP SERVER)
29099 This function may be called at any time (by Gnus or anything else) to
29100 request that the back end check for incoming articles, in one way or
29101 another. A mail back end will typically read the spool file or query
29102 the @acronym{POP} server when this function is invoked. The
29103 @var{group} doesn't have to be heeded---if the back end decides that
29104 it is too much work just scanning for a single group, it may do a
29105 total scan of all groups. It would be nice, however, to keep things
29106 local if that's practical.
29108 There should be no result data from this function.
29111 @item (nnchoke-request-group-description GROUP &optional SERVER)
29113 The result data from this function should be a description of
29117 description-line = name <TAB> description eol
29119 description = <text>
29122 @item (nnchoke-request-list-newsgroups &optional SERVER)
29124 The result data from this function should be the description of all
29125 groups available on the server.
29128 description-buffer = *description-line
29132 @item (nnchoke-request-newgroups DATE &optional SERVER)
29134 The result data from this function should be all groups that were
29135 created after @samp{date}, which is in normal human-readable date format
29136 (i.e., the date format used in mail and news headers, and returned by
29137 the function @code{message-make-date} by default). The data should be
29138 in the active buffer format.
29140 It is okay for this function to return ``too many'' groups; some back ends
29141 might find it cheaper to return the full list of groups, rather than
29142 just the new groups. But don't do this for back ends with many groups.
29143 Normally, if the user creates the groups herself, there won't be too
29144 many groups, so @code{nnml} and the like are probably safe. But for
29145 back ends like @code{nntp}, where the groups have been created by the
29146 server, it is quite likely that there can be many groups.
29149 @item (nnchoke-request-create-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
29151 This function should create an empty group with name @var{group}.
29153 There should be no return data.
29156 @item (nnchoke-request-expire-articles ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FORCE)
29158 This function should run the expiry process on all articles in the
29159 @var{articles} range (which is currently a simple list of article
29160 numbers.) It is left up to the back end to decide how old articles
29161 should be before they are removed by this function. If @var{force} is
29162 non-@code{nil}, all @var{articles} should be deleted, no matter how new
29165 This function should return a list of articles that it did not/was not
29168 There should be no result data returned.
29171 @item (nnchoke-request-move-article ARTICLE GROUP SERVER ACCEPT-FORM &optional LAST)
29173 This function should move @var{article} (which is a number) from
29174 @var{group} by calling @var{accept-form}.
29176 This function should ready the article in question for moving by
29177 removing any header lines it has added to the article, and generally
29178 should ``tidy up'' the article. Then it should @code{eval}
29179 @var{accept-form} in the buffer where the ``tidy'' article is. This
29180 will do the actual copying. If this @code{eval} returns a
29181 non-@code{nil} value, the article should be removed.
29183 If @var{last} is @code{nil}, that means that there is a high likelihood
29184 that there will be more requests issued shortly, so that allows some
29187 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
29188 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
29190 There should be no data returned.
29193 @item (nnchoke-request-accept-article GROUP &optional SERVER LAST)
29195 This function takes the current buffer and inserts it into @var{group}.
29196 If @var{last} in @code{nil}, that means that there will be more calls to
29197 this function in short order.
29199 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
29200 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
29202 The group should exist before the back end is asked to accept the
29203 article for that group.
29205 There should be no data returned.
29208 @item (nnchoke-request-replace-article ARTICLE GROUP BUFFER)
29210 This function should remove @var{article} (which is a number) from
29211 @var{group} and insert @var{buffer} there instead.
29213 There should be no data returned.
29216 @item (nnchoke-request-delete-group GROUP FORCE &optional SERVER)
29218 This function should delete @var{group}. If @var{force}, it should
29219 really delete all the articles in the group, and then delete the group
29220 itself. (If there is such a thing as ``the group itself''.)
29222 There should be no data returned.
29225 @item (nnchoke-request-rename-group GROUP NEW-NAME &optional SERVER)
29227 This function should rename @var{group} into @var{new-name}. All
29228 articles in @var{group} should move to @var{new-name}.
29230 There should be no data returned.
29235 @node Error Messaging
29236 @subsubsection Error Messaging
29238 @findex nnheader-report
29239 @findex nnheader-get-report
29240 The back ends should use the function @code{nnheader-report} to report
29241 error conditions---they should not raise errors when they aren't able to
29242 perform a request. The first argument to this function is the back end
29243 symbol, and the rest are interpreted as arguments to @code{format} if
29244 there are multiple of them, or just a string if there is one of them.
29245 This function must always returns @code{nil}.
29248 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "You did something totally bogus")
29250 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "Could not request group %s" group)
29253 Gnus, in turn, will call @code{nnheader-get-report} when it gets a
29254 @code{nil} back from a server, and this function returns the most
29255 recently reported message for the back end in question. This function
29256 takes one argument---the server symbol.
29258 Internally, these functions access @var{back-end}@code{-status-string},
29259 so the @code{nnchoke} back end will have its error message stored in
29260 @code{nnchoke-status-string}.
29263 @node Writing New Back Ends
29264 @subsubsection Writing New Back Ends
29266 Many back ends are quite similar. @code{nnml} is just like
29267 @code{nnspool}, but it allows you to edit the articles on the server.
29268 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, but it doesn't use an active file,
29269 and it doesn't maintain overview databases. @code{nndir} is just like
29270 @code{nnml}, but it has no concept of ``groups'', and it doesn't allow
29273 It would make sense if it were possible to ``inherit'' functions from
29274 back ends when writing new back ends. And, indeed, you can do that if you
29275 want to. (You don't have to if you don't want to, of course.)
29277 All the back ends declare their public variables and functions by using a
29278 package called @code{nnoo}.
29280 To inherit functions from other back ends (and allow other back ends to
29281 inherit functions from the current back end), you should use the
29287 This macro declares the first parameter to be a child of the subsequent
29288 parameters. For instance:
29291 (nnoo-declare nndir
29295 @code{nndir} has declared here that it intends to inherit functions from
29296 both @code{nnml} and @code{nnmh}.
29299 This macro is equivalent to @code{defvar}, but registers the variable as
29300 a public server variable. Most state-oriented variables should be
29301 declared with @code{defvoo} instead of @code{defvar}.
29303 In addition to the normal @code{defvar} parameters, it takes a list of
29304 variables in the parent back ends to map the variable to when executing
29305 a function in those back ends.
29308 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
29309 "Where nndir will look for groups."
29310 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
29313 This means that @code{nnml-current-directory} will be set to
29314 @code{nndir-directory} when an @code{nnml} function is called on behalf
29315 of @code{nndir}. (The same with @code{nnmh}.)
29317 @item nnoo-define-basics
29318 This macro defines some common functions that almost all back ends should
29322 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
29326 This macro is just like @code{defun} and takes the same parameters. In
29327 addition to doing the normal @code{defun} things, it registers the
29328 function as being public so that other back ends can inherit it.
29330 @item nnoo-map-functions
29331 This macro allows mapping of functions from the current back end to
29332 functions from the parent back ends.
29335 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
29336 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
29337 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0))
29340 This means that when @code{nndir-retrieve-headers} is called, the first,
29341 third, and fourth parameters will be passed on to
29342 @code{nnml-retrieve-headers}, while the second parameter is set to the
29343 value of @code{nndir-current-group}.
29346 This macro allows importing functions from back ends. It should be the
29347 last thing in the source file, since it will only define functions that
29348 haven't already been defined.
29354 nnmh-request-newgroups)
29358 This means that calls to @code{nndir-request-list} should just be passed
29359 on to @code{nnmh-request-list}, while all public functions from
29360 @code{nnml} that haven't been defined in @code{nndir} yet should be
29365 Below is a slightly shortened version of the @code{nndir} back end.
29368 ;;; @r{nndir.el --- single directory newsgroup access for Gnus}
29369 ;; @r{Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.}
29373 (require 'nnheader)
29377 (eval-when-compile (require 'cl))
29379 (nnoo-declare nndir
29382 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
29383 "Where nndir will look for groups."
29384 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
29386 (defvoo nndir-nov-is-evil nil
29387 "*Non-nil means that nndir will never retrieve NOV headers."
29390 (defvoo nndir-current-group ""
29392 nnml-current-group nnmh-current-group)
29393 (defvoo nndir-top-directory nil nil nnml-directory nnmh-directory)
29394 (defvoo nndir-get-new-mail nil nil nnml-get-new-mail nnmh-get-new-mail)
29396 (defvoo nndir-status-string "" nil nnmh-status-string)
29397 (defconst nndir-version "nndir 1.0")
29399 ;;; @r{Interface functions.}
29401 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
29403 (deffoo nndir-open-server (server &optional defs)
29404 (setq nndir-directory
29405 (or (cadr (assq 'nndir-directory defs))
29407 (unless (assq 'nndir-directory defs)
29408 (push `(nndir-directory ,server) defs))
29409 (push `(nndir-current-group
29410 ,(file-name-nondirectory
29411 (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
29413 (push `(nndir-top-directory
29414 ,(file-name-directory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
29416 (nnoo-change-server 'nndir server defs))
29418 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
29419 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
29420 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
29421 (nnmh-request-group nndir-current-group 0 0)
29422 (nnmh-close-group nndir-current-group 0))
29426 nnmh-status-message
29428 nnmh-request-newgroups))
29434 @node Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
29435 @subsubsection Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
29437 @vindex gnus-valid-select-methods
29438 @findex gnus-declare-backend
29439 Having Gnus start using your new back end is rather easy---you just
29440 declare it with the @code{gnus-declare-backend} functions. This will
29441 enter the back end into the @code{gnus-valid-select-methods} variable.
29443 @code{gnus-declare-backend} takes two parameters---the back end name and
29444 an arbitrary number of @dfn{abilities}.
29449 (gnus-declare-backend "nnchoke" 'mail 'respool 'address)
29452 The above line would then go in the @file{nnchoke.el} file.
29454 The abilities can be:
29458 This is a mailish back end---followups should (probably) go via mail.
29460 This is a newsish back end---followups should (probably) go via news.
29462 This back end supports both mail and news.
29464 This is neither a post nor mail back end---it's something completely
29467 It supports respooling---or rather, it is able to modify its source
29468 articles and groups.
29470 The name of the server should be in the virtual server name. This is
29471 true for almost all back ends.
29472 @item prompt-address
29473 The user should be prompted for an address when doing commands like
29474 @kbd{B} in the group buffer. This is true for back ends like
29475 @code{nntp}, but not @code{nnmbox}, for instance.
29479 @node Mail-like Back Ends
29480 @subsubsection Mail-like Back Ends
29482 One of the things that separate the mail back ends from the rest of the
29483 back ends is the heavy dependence by most of the mail back ends on
29484 common functions in @file{nnmail.el}. For instance, here's the
29485 definition of @code{nnml-request-scan}:
29488 (deffoo nnml-request-scan (&optional group server)
29489 (setq nnml-article-file-alist nil)
29490 (nnmail-get-new-mail 'nnml 'nnml-save-nov nnml-directory group))
29493 It simply calls @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} with a few parameters,
29494 and @code{nnmail} takes care of all the moving and splitting of the
29497 This function takes four parameters.
29501 This should be a symbol to designate which back end is responsible for
29504 @item exit-function
29505 This function should be called after the splitting has been performed.
29507 @item temp-directory
29508 Where the temporary files should be stored.
29511 This optional argument should be a group name if the splitting is to be
29512 performed for one group only.
29515 @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will call @var{back-end}@code{-save-mail} to
29516 save each article. @var{back-end}@code{-active-number} will be called to
29517 find the article number assigned to this article.
29519 The function also uses the following variables:
29520 @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} (to see whether to get new mail for
29521 this back end); and @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} and
29522 @var{back-end}@code{-active-file} to generate the new active file.
29523 @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} should be a group-active alist, like
29527 (("a-group" (1 . 10))
29528 ("some-group" (34 . 39)))
29532 @node Score File Syntax
29533 @subsection Score File Syntax
29535 Score files are meant to be easily parseable, but yet extremely
29536 mallable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax
29537 as an Emacs Lisp list would fit that spec.
29539 Here's a typical score file:
29543 ("win95" -10000 nil s)
29550 BNF definition of a score file:
29553 score-file = "" / "(" *element ")"
29554 element = rule / atom
29555 rule = string-rule / number-rule / date-rule
29556 string-rule = "(" quote string-header quote space *string-match ")"
29557 number-rule = "(" quote number-header quote space *number-match ")"
29558 date-rule = "(" quote date-header quote space *date-match ")"
29560 string-header = "subject" / "from" / "references" / "message-id" /
29561 "xref" / "body" / "head" / "all" / "followup"
29562 number-header = "lines" / "chars"
29563 date-header = "date"
29564 string-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
29565 space date [ "" / [ space string-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
29566 score = "nil" / <integer>
29567 date = "nil" / <natural number>
29568 string-match-t = "nil" / "s" / "substring" / "S" / "Substring" /
29569 "r" / "regex" / "R" / "Regex" /
29570 "e" / "exact" / "E" / "Exact" /
29571 "f" / "fuzzy" / "F" / "Fuzzy"
29572 number-match = "(" <integer> [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
29573 space date [ "" / [ space number-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
29574 number-match-t = "nil" / "=" / "<" / ">" / ">=" / "<="
29575 date-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
29576 space date [ "" / [ space date-match-t ] ] ] ] ")"
29577 date-match-t = "nil" / "at" / "before" / "after"
29578 atom = "(" [ required-atom / optional-atom ] ")"
29579 required-atom = mark / expunge / mark-and-expunge / files /
29580 exclude-files / read-only / touched
29581 optional-atom = adapt / local / eval
29582 mark = "mark" space nil-or-number
29583 nil-or-number = "nil" / <integer>
29584 expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number
29585 mark-and-expunge = "mark-and-expunge" space nil-or-number
29586 files = "files" *[ space <string> ]
29587 exclude-files = "exclude-files" *[ space <string> ]
29588 read-only = "read-only" [ space "nil" / space "t" ]
29589 adapt = "adapt" [ space "ignore" / space "t" / space adapt-rule ]
29590 adapt-rule = "(" *[ <string> *[ "(" <string> <integer> ")" ] ")"
29591 local = "local" *[ space "(" <string> space <form> ")" ]
29592 eval = "eval" space <form>
29593 space = *[ " " / <TAB> / <NEWLINE> ]
29596 Any unrecognized elements in a score file should be ignored, but not
29599 As you can see, white space is needed, but the type and amount of white
29600 space is irrelevant. This means that formatting of the score file is
29601 left up to the programmer---if it's simpler to just spew it all out on
29602 one looong line, then that's ok.
29604 The meaning of the various atoms are explained elsewhere in this
29605 manual (@pxref{Score File Format}).
29609 @subsection Headers
29611 Internally Gnus uses a format for storing article headers that
29612 corresponds to the @acronym{NOV} format in a mysterious fashion. One could
29613 almost suspect that the author looked at the @acronym{NOV} specification and
29614 just shamelessly @emph{stole} the entire thing, and one would be right.
29616 @dfn{Header} is a severely overloaded term. ``Header'' is used in
29617 RFC 1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (e.g.,
29618 @code{From}). It is used by many people as a synonym for
29619 ``head''---``the header and the body''. (That should be avoided, in my
29620 opinion.) And Gnus uses a format internally that it calls ``header'',
29621 which is what I'm talking about here. This is a 9-element vector,
29622 basically, with each header (ouch) having one slot.
29624 These slots are, in order: @code{number}, @code{subject}, @code{from},
29625 @code{date}, @code{id}, @code{references}, @code{chars}, @code{lines},
29626 @code{xref}, and @code{extra}. There are macros for accessing and
29627 setting these slots---they all have predictable names beginning with
29628 @code{mail-header-} and @code{mail-header-set-}, respectively.
29630 All these slots contain strings, except the @code{extra} slot, which
29631 contains an alist of header/value pairs (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
29637 @sc{gnus} introduced a concept that I found so useful that I've started
29638 using it a lot and have elaborated on it greatly.
29640 The question is simple: If you have a large amount of objects that are
29641 identified by numbers (say, articles, to take a @emph{wild} example)
29642 that you want to qualify as being ``included'', a normal sequence isn't
29643 very useful. (A 200,000 length sequence is a bit long-winded.)
29645 The solution is as simple as the question: You just collapse the
29649 (1 2 3 4 5 6 10 11 12)
29652 is transformed into
29655 ((1 . 6) (10 . 12))
29658 To avoid having those nasty @samp{(13 . 13)} elements to denote a
29659 lonesome object, a @samp{13} is a valid element:
29662 ((1 . 6) 7 (10 . 12))
29665 This means that comparing two ranges to find out whether they are equal
29666 is slightly tricky:
29669 ((1 . 5) 7 8 (10 . 12))
29675 ((1 . 5) (7 . 8) (10 . 12))
29678 are equal. In fact, any non-descending list is a range:
29684 is a perfectly valid range, although a pretty long-winded one. This is
29691 and is equal to the previous range.
29693 Here's a BNF definition of ranges. Of course, one must remember the
29694 semantic requirement that the numbers are non-descending. (Any number
29695 of repetition of the same number is allowed, but apt to disappear in
29699 range = simple-range / normal-range
29700 simple-range = "(" number " . " number ")"
29701 normal-range = "(" start-contents ")"
29702 contents = "" / simple-range *[ " " contents ] /
29703 number *[ " " contents ]
29706 Gnus currently uses ranges to keep track of read articles and article
29707 marks. I plan on implementing a number of range operators in C if The
29708 Powers That Be are willing to let me. (I haven't asked yet, because I
29709 need to do some more thinking on what operators I need to make life
29710 totally range-based without ever having to convert back to normal
29715 @subsection Group Info
29717 Gnus stores all permanent info on groups in a @dfn{group info} list.
29718 This list is from three to six elements (or more) long and exhaustively
29719 describes the group.
29721 Here are two example group infos; one is a very simple group while the
29722 second is a more complex one:
29725 ("no.group" 5 ((1 . 54324)))
29727 ("nnml:my.mail" 3 ((1 . 5) 9 (20 . 55))
29728 ((tick (15 . 19)) (replied 3 6 (19 . 3)))
29730 ((auto-expire . t) (to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")))
29733 The first element is the @dfn{group name}---as Gnus knows the group,
29734 anyway. The second element is the @dfn{subscription level}, which
29735 normally is a small integer. (It can also be the @dfn{rank}, which is a
29736 cons cell where the @code{car} is the level and the @code{cdr} is the
29737 score.) The third element is a list of ranges of read articles. The
29738 fourth element is a list of lists of article marks of various kinds.
29739 The fifth element is the select method (or virtual server, if you like).
29740 The sixth element is a list of @dfn{group parameters}, which is what
29741 this section is about.
29743 Any of the last three elements may be missing if they are not required.
29744 In fact, the vast majority of groups will normally only have the first
29745 three elements, which saves quite a lot of cons cells.
29747 Here's a BNF definition of the group info format:
29750 info = "(" group space ralevel space read
29751 [ "" / [ space marks-list [ "" / [ space method [ "" /
29752 space parameters ] ] ] ] ] ")"
29753 group = quote <string> quote
29754 ralevel = rank / level
29755 level = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
29756 rank = "(" level "." score ")"
29757 score = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
29759 marks-lists = nil / "(" *marks ")"
29760 marks = "(" <string> range ")"
29761 method = "(" <string> *elisp-forms ")"
29762 parameters = "(" *elisp-forms ")"
29765 Actually that @samp{marks} rule is a fib. A @samp{marks} is a
29766 @samp{<string>} consed on to a @samp{range}, but that's a bitch to say
29769 If you have a Gnus info and want to access the elements, Gnus offers a
29770 series of macros for getting/setting these elements.
29773 @item gnus-info-group
29774 @itemx gnus-info-set-group
29775 @findex gnus-info-group
29776 @findex gnus-info-set-group
29777 Get/set the group name.
29779 @item gnus-info-rank
29780 @itemx gnus-info-set-rank
29781 @findex gnus-info-rank
29782 @findex gnus-info-set-rank
29783 Get/set the group rank (@pxref{Group Score}).
29785 @item gnus-info-level
29786 @itemx gnus-info-set-level
29787 @findex gnus-info-level
29788 @findex gnus-info-set-level
29789 Get/set the group level.
29791 @item gnus-info-score
29792 @itemx gnus-info-set-score
29793 @findex gnus-info-score
29794 @findex gnus-info-set-score
29795 Get/set the group score (@pxref{Group Score}).
29797 @item gnus-info-read
29798 @itemx gnus-info-set-read
29799 @findex gnus-info-read
29800 @findex gnus-info-set-read
29801 Get/set the ranges of read articles.
29803 @item gnus-info-marks
29804 @itemx gnus-info-set-marks
29805 @findex gnus-info-marks
29806 @findex gnus-info-set-marks
29807 Get/set the lists of ranges of marked articles.
29809 @item gnus-info-method
29810 @itemx gnus-info-set-method
29811 @findex gnus-info-method
29812 @findex gnus-info-set-method
29813 Get/set the group select method.
29815 @item gnus-info-params
29816 @itemx gnus-info-set-params
29817 @findex gnus-info-params
29818 @findex gnus-info-set-params
29819 Get/set the group parameters.
29822 All the getter functions take one parameter---the info list. The setter
29823 functions take two parameters---the info list and the new value.
29825 The last three elements in the group info aren't mandatory, so it may be
29826 necessary to extend the group info before setting the element. If this
29827 is necessary, you can just pass on a non-@code{nil} third parameter to
29828 the three final setter functions to have this happen automatically.
29831 @node Extended Interactive
29832 @subsection Extended Interactive
29833 @cindex interactive
29834 @findex gnus-interactive
29836 Gnus extends the standard Emacs @code{interactive} specification
29837 slightly to allow easy use of the symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic
29838 Prefixes}). Here's an example of how this is used:
29841 (defun gnus-summary-increase-score (&optional score symp)
29842 (interactive (gnus-interactive "P\ny"))
29847 The best thing to do would have been to implement
29848 @code{gnus-interactive} as a macro which would have returned an
29849 @code{interactive} form, but this isn't possible since Emacs checks
29850 whether a function is interactive or not by simply doing an @code{assq}
29851 on the lambda form. So, instead we have @code{gnus-interactive}
29852 function that takes a string and returns values that are usable to
29853 @code{interactive}.
29855 This function accepts (almost) all normal @code{interactive} specs, but
29860 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbol
29861 The current symbolic prefix---the @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol}
29865 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbols
29866 A list of the current symbolic prefixes---the
29867 @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol} variable.
29870 The current article number---the @code{gnus-summary-article-number}
29874 The current article header---the @code{gnus-summary-article-header}
29878 The current group name---the @code{gnus-group-group-name}
29884 @node Emacs/XEmacs Code
29885 @subsection Emacs/XEmacs Code
29889 While Gnus runs under Emacs, XEmacs and Mule, I decided that one of the
29890 platforms must be the primary one. I chose Emacs. Not because I don't
29891 like XEmacs or Mule, but because it comes first alphabetically.
29893 This means that Gnus will byte-compile under Emacs with nary a warning,
29894 while XEmacs will pump out gigabytes of warnings while byte-compiling.
29895 As I use byte-compilation warnings to help me root out trivial errors in
29896 Gnus, that's very useful.
29898 I've also consistently used Emacs function interfaces, but have used
29899 Gnusey aliases for the functions. To take an example: Emacs defines a
29900 @code{run-at-time} function while XEmacs defines a @code{start-itimer}
29901 function. I then define a function called @code{gnus-run-at-time} that
29902 takes the same parameters as the Emacs @code{run-at-time}. When running
29903 Gnus under Emacs, the former function is just an alias for the latter.
29904 However, when running under XEmacs, the former is an alias for the
29905 following function:
29908 (defun gnus-xmas-run-at-time (time repeat function &rest args)
29912 (,function ,@@args))
29916 This sort of thing has been done for bunches of functions. Gnus does
29917 not redefine any native Emacs functions while running under XEmacs---it
29918 does this @code{defalias} thing with Gnus equivalents instead. Cleaner
29921 In the cases where the XEmacs function interface was obviously cleaner,
29922 I used it instead. For example @code{gnus-region-active-p} is an alias
29923 for @code{region-active-p} in XEmacs, whereas in Emacs it is a function.
29925 Of course, I could have chosen XEmacs as my native platform and done
29926 mapping functions the other way around. But I didn't. The performance
29927 hit these indirections impose on Gnus under XEmacs should be slight.
29930 @node Various File Formats
29931 @subsection Various File Formats
29934 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
29935 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
29939 @node Active File Format
29940 @subsubsection Active File Format
29942 The active file lists all groups available on the server in
29943 question. It also lists the highest and lowest current article numbers
29946 Here's an excerpt from a typical active file:
29949 soc.motss 296030 293865 y
29950 alt.binaries.pictures.fractals 3922 3913 n
29951 comp.sources.unix 1605 1593 m
29952 comp.binaries.ibm.pc 5097 5089 y
29953 no.general 1000 900 y
29956 Here's a pseudo-BNF definition of this file:
29959 active = *group-line
29960 group-line = group spc high-number spc low-number spc flag <NEWLINE>
29961 group = <non-white-space string>
29963 high-number = <non-negative integer>
29964 low-number = <positive integer>
29965 flag = "y" / "n" / "m" / "j" / "x" / "=" group
29968 For a full description of this file, see the manual pages for
29969 @samp{innd}, in particular @samp{active(5)}.
29972 @node Newsgroups File Format
29973 @subsubsection Newsgroups File Format
29975 The newsgroups file lists groups along with their descriptions. Not all
29976 groups on the server have to be listed, and not all groups in the file
29977 have to exist on the server. The file is meant purely as information to
29980 The format is quite simple; a group name, a tab, and the description.
29981 Here's the definition:
29985 line = group tab description <NEWLINE>
29986 group = <non-white-space string>
29988 description = <string>
29993 @node Emacs for Heathens
29994 @section Emacs for Heathens
29996 Believe it or not, but some people who use Gnus haven't really used
29997 Emacs much before they embarked on their journey on the Gnus Love Boat.
29998 If you are one of those unfortunates whom ``@kbd{C-M-a}'', ``kill the
29999 region'', and ``set @code{gnus-flargblossen} to an alist where the key
30000 is a regexp that is used for matching on the group name'' are magical
30001 phrases with little or no meaning, then this appendix is for you. If
30002 you are already familiar with Emacs, just ignore this and go fondle your
30006 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
30007 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
30012 @subsection Keystrokes
30016 Q: What is an experienced Emacs user?
30019 A: A person who wishes that the terminal had pedals.
30022 Yes, when you use Emacs, you are apt to use the control key, the shift
30023 key and the meta key a lot. This is very annoying to some people
30024 (notably @code{vi}le users), and the rest of us just love the hell out
30025 of it. Just give up and submit. Emacs really does stand for
30026 ``Escape-Meta-Alt-Control-Shift'', and not ``Editing Macros'', as you
30027 may have heard from other disreputable sources (like the Emacs author).
30029 The shift keys are normally located near your pinky fingers, and are
30030 normally used to get capital letters and stuff. You probably use it all
30031 the time. The control key is normally marked ``CTRL'' or something like
30032 that. The meta key is, funnily enough, never marked as such on any
30033 keyboard. The one I'm currently at has a key that's marked ``Alt'',
30034 which is the meta key on this keyboard. It's usually located somewhere
30035 to the left hand side of the keyboard, usually on the bottom row.
30037 Now, us Emacs people don't say ``press the meta-control-m key'',
30038 because that's just too inconvenient. We say ``press the @kbd{C-M-m}
30039 key''. @kbd{M-} is the prefix that means ``meta'' and ``C-'' is the
30040 prefix that means ``control''. So ``press @kbd{C-k}'' means ``press
30041 down the control key, and hold it down while you press @kbd{k}''.
30042 ``Press @kbd{C-M-k}'' means ``press down and hold down the meta key and
30043 the control key and then press @kbd{k}''. Simple, ay?
30045 This is somewhat complicated by the fact that not all keyboards have a
30046 meta key. In that case you can use the ``escape'' key. Then @kbd{M-k}
30047 means ``press escape, release escape, press @kbd{k}''. That's much more
30048 work than if you have a meta key, so if that's the case, I respectfully
30049 suggest you get a real keyboard with a meta key. You can't live without
30055 @subsection Emacs Lisp
30057 Emacs is the King of Editors because it's really a Lisp interpreter.
30058 Each and every key you tap runs some Emacs Lisp code snippet, and since
30059 Emacs Lisp is an interpreted language, that means that you can configure
30060 any key to run any arbitrary code. You just, like, do it.
30062 Gnus is written in Emacs Lisp, and is run as a bunch of interpreted
30063 functions. (These are byte-compiled for speed, but it's still
30064 interpreted.) If you decide that you don't like the way Gnus does
30065 certain things, it's trivial to have it do something a different way.
30066 (Well, at least if you know how to write Lisp code.) However, that's
30067 beyond the scope of this manual, so we are simply going to talk about
30068 some common constructs that you normally use in your @file{~/.gnus.el}
30069 file to customize Gnus. (You can also use the @file{~/.emacs} file, but
30070 in order to set things of Gnus up, it is much better to use the
30071 @file{~/.gnus.el} file, @xref{Startup Files}.)
30073 If you want to set the variable @code{gnus-florgbnize} to four (4), you
30074 write the following:
30077 (setq gnus-florgbnize 4)
30080 This function (really ``special form'') @code{setq} is the one that can
30081 set a variable to some value. This is really all you need to know. Now
30082 you can go and fill your @file{~/.gnus.el} file with lots of these to
30083 change how Gnus works.
30085 If you have put that thing in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file, it will be
30086 read and @code{eval}ed (which is Lisp-ese for ``run'') the next time you
30087 start Gnus. If you want to change the variable right away, simply say
30088 @kbd{C-x C-e} after the closing parenthesis. That will @code{eval} the
30089 previous ``form'', which is a simple @code{setq} statement here.
30091 Go ahead---just try it, if you're located at your Emacs. After you
30092 @kbd{C-x C-e}, you will see @samp{4} appear in the echo area, which
30093 is the return value of the form you @code{eval}ed.
30097 If the manual says ``set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{some}'',
30101 (setq gnus-read-active-file 'some)
30104 On the other hand, if the manual says ``set @code{gnus-nntp-server} to
30105 @samp{nntp.ifi.uio.no}'', that means:
30108 (setq gnus-nntp-server "nntp.ifi.uio.no")
30111 So be careful not to mix up strings (the latter) with symbols (the
30112 former). The manual is unambiguous, but it can be confusing.
30115 @include gnus-faq.texi
30117 @node GNU Free Documentation License
30118 @chapter GNU Free Documentation License
30119 @include doclicense.texi
30139 @c Local Variables:
30141 @c coding: iso-8859-1
30145 arch-tag: c9fa47e7-78ca-4681-bda9-9fef45d1c819