Release 6.4.16 NN(1) NAME nn - efficient net news interface (No News is good news) SYNOPSIS nn [ _o_p_t_i_o_n_s ] [ _n_e_w_s_g_r_o_u_p | +_f_o_l_d_e_r | _f_i_l_e ]... nn -g [ -r ] nn -a0 [ _n_e_w_s_g_r_o_u_p ]... DESCRIPTION Net news is a world-wide information exchange service covering numerous topics in science and every day life. Topics are organ- ized in _n_e_w_s _g_r_o_u_p_s, and these groups are open for everybody to post _a_r_t_i_c_l_e_s on a subject related to the topic of the group. _N_n is a `point-and-shoot' net news interface program, or a _n_e_w_s _r_e_a_d_e_r for short (not to be confused with the _h_u_m_a_n news reader). When you use _n_n, you can decide which of the many news groups you are interested in, and you can unsubscribe to those which don't interest you. _n_n will let you read the new (and old) articles in each of the groups you subscribe to using a menu based article selection prior to reading the articles in the news group. When a news group is entered, _n_n will locate all the presently unread articles in the group, and extract their sender, subject, and other relevant information. This information is then rear- ranged, sorted, and marked in various ways to give it a pleasant format when it is presented on the screen. This will be done very quickly, because _n_n uses its own database to maintain all the necessary information on a directly accessi- ble form (this database is built and maintained by the _n_n_m_a_s_- _t_e_r(8) program). When the article menu appears on the screen, _n_n will be in a mode called selection mode. In this mode, the articles which seems to be interesting can be selected by single keystrokes (using the keys a-z and 0-9). When all the interesting articles among the ones presently displayed have been selected, the space bar is hit, which causes _n_n to enter reading mode. In reading mode, each of the selected articles will be presented. You use the space bar to go on to the next page of the current article, or to the next article. Of course, there are all sorts of commands to scroll text up and down, skip to the next article, responding to an article, decrypt an article, and so on. When all the selected articles in the current group have been read, the last hit on the space bar will cause _n_n will continue to the next group with unread articles, and enter selection mode on that group. 1 NN(1) Release 6.4.16 FREQUENTLY USED OPTIONS _n_n accepts a lot of command line options, but here only the fre- quently used options are described. Options can also be set per- manently by including appropriate _v_a_r_i_a_b_l_e settings in the _i_n_i_t file described later. All options are described in the section on Command Line Options towards the end of this manual. The frequently used command line options are: -a0 Catch up on unread articles and groups. See the section "Catch up" below. -g Prompt for the name of a news group or folder to be entered (with completion). -r Used with -g to repeatedly prompt for groups to enter. -l_N Print only the first _N lines of the first page of each arti- cle before prompting to continue. This is useful on slow terminals and modem lines to be able to see the first few lines of longer articles. -s_W_O_R_D Collect only articles which contain the string _W_O_R_D in their subject (case is ignored). This is normally combined with the -x and -m options to find all articles on a specific subject. -s/_r_e_g_e_x_p Collect only articles whose subject matches the regular expression _r_e_g_e_x_p. This is normally combined with the -x and -m options to find all articles on a specific subject. -n_W_O_R_D or -n/_r_e_g_e_x_p Same as -s except that it matches on the sender's name instead of the article's subject. This is normally combined with the -x and -m options to find all articles from a specific author. It cannot be mixed with the -s option! -i Normally searches with -n and -s are case independent. Using this option, the case becomes significant. -m Merge all articles into one `meta group' instead of showing them one group at a time. This is normally used together with the -x and -s options to get all the articles on a specific subject presented on a single menu (when you don't care about which group they belong to). When -m is used, no articles will be marked as read. -x[_N] Present (or scan) all (or the last _N) unread as well as read articles. When this option is used, _n_n will _n_e_v_e_r mark unread articles as read (i.e. .newsrc is not updated). 2 Release 6.4.16 NN(1) -X Read/scan unsubscribed groups also. Most useful when look- ing for a specific subject in all groups, e.g. nn -mxX -sSubject all _n_e_w_s._g_r_o_u_p or _f_i_l_e or +_f_o_l_d_e_r If none of these arguments are given, all subscribed news groups will be used. Otherwise, only the specified news groups and/or files will be collected and presented. In specifying a news groups, the following `meta notation' can be used: If the news group ends with a `.' (or `.all'), all subgroups of the news group will be collected, e.g. comp.sources. If a news group starts with a `.' (or `all.'), all the matching subgroups will be collected, e.g. .sources.unix The argument `all' identifies all (subscribed) news groups. COMMAND INPUT In general, _n_n commands consist of one or two key-strokes, and _n_n reacts instantly to the commands you give it; you don't have to enter return after each command (except where explicitly stated). Some commands have more serious effects than others, and there- fore _n_n requests you to confirm the command. You confirm by hit- ting the the y key, and reject by hitting the n key. Some `trivial' requests may also be confirmed simply by hitting space. For example, to confirm the creation of a save file, just hit space, but if one or more directories also have to be created, you must enter y. Many commands will require that you enter a line of text, e.g. a file name or a shell command. If you enter space as the first character on a line, the line will be filled with a default value (if one is defined). For example, the default value for a file name is the last file name you have entered, and the default shell command is your previous shell command. You can edit this default value as well as a directly typed text, using the follow- ing editing commands. The erase, kill, and interrupt keys are the keys defined by the current tty settings. On systems without job control, the suspend key will be control-Z while it is the current suspend character on system with job control. erase Delete the last character on the line. delete-word (normally ^W) Delete the last word or component of the input. kill Delete all characters on the line. interrupt and control-G Cancel the command which needs the input. 3 NN(1) Release 6.4.16 suspend Suspend _n_n if supported by the system. Otherwise, spawn an interactive shell. return Terminate the line, and continue with the command. Related variables: erase-key, flow-control, flush-typeahead, help-key, kill-key, word-key. BASIC COMMANDS There are numerous commands in _n_n, and most of them can be invoked by a single keystroke. The descriptions in this manual are based on the standard bindings of the commands to the keys, but it is possible to customize these using the map command described later. For each of the keystroke commands described in this manual, the corresponding command name will also be shown in curly braces, e.g. {command}. The following commands work in both selection mode and in reading mode. The notation ^X means `control X': ? {help} Help. Gives a one page overview of the commands available in the current mode. ^L {redraw} Redraw screen. ^R {redraw} Redraw screen (Same as ^L). ^P {message} Repeat the last message shown on the message line. The com- mand can be repeated to successively show previous messages (the maximum number of saved messages is controlled via the message-history variable.) ! {shell} Shell escape. The user is prompted for a command which is executed by your favorite shell (see the shell variable). Shell escapes are described in detail later on. Q {quit} Quit _n_n. When you use this command, you neither lose unread articles in the current group nor the selections you might have made (unless the articles are expired in the meantime of course). V {version} Print release and version information. :_c_o_m_m_a_n_d {command} Execute the _c_o_m_m_a_n_d by name. This form can be used to 4 Release 6.4.16 NN(1) invoke any of _n_n's commands, also those which cannot be bound to a key (such as :coredump), or those which are not bound to a key by default (such as post and unshar). Related and basic variables: backup, backup-suffix, confirm- auto-quit, expert, mail, message-history, new-group-action, newsrc, quick-count. SELECTION MODE In selection mode, the screen is divided into four parts: the header line showing the name of the news group and the number of articles, the menu lines which show the collected articles - one article per line, the prompt line where you enter commands, and the message line where _n_n prints various messages to you. Each menu line begins with an _a_r_t_i_c_l_e _i_d which is a unique letter (or digit if your screen can show more than 26 menu lines). To select an articles for reading, you simply enter the correspond- ing _i_d, and the menu line will be high-lighted to indicate that the article is selected. When you have selected all the interesting articles on the present menu, you simply hit space. If there are more articles collected for the current group than could be presented on one screenful of text, you will be presented with the next portion of articles to select from. When you have had the opportunity to select among all the articles in the group, hitting space will enter reading mode. If no articles have been selected in the current group, hitting space will enter selection mode on the next news group, or exit _n_n if the current group was the last news group with unread arti- cles. It is thus possible to go through ALL unread articles (without reading any of them) just by hitting space a few times. The articles will be presented on the menu using one of the fol- lowing layouts: 9 0: _x _N_a_m_e......... _S_u_b_j_e_c_t.............. +_1_2_3 1: _x _N_a_m_e......... _1_2_3 _S_u_b_j_e_c_t.............. 2: _x _1_2_3 _S_u_b_j_e_c_t................................... 3: _x _S_u_b_j_e_c_t........................................... 4: _x _S_u_b_j_e_c_t........................................ Here _x is the letter or digit that must be entered to select the article, _N_a_m_e is the real name of the sender (or the mail address if the real name cannot be found), _S_u_b_j_e_c_t is the contents of the "Subject:" line in the article, and _1_2_3 is the number of lines in the article. 9 5 NN(1) Release 6.4.16 Layout 0 and 1 are just two ways to present the same information, while layout 2 and 3 are intended for groups whose articles have very long subject lines, e.g. comp.sources. Layout 4 is a hybrid between layout 1 and 3. It will normally use layout 1, but it will use layout 3 (with a little indenta- tion) for menu lines where the subject is longer than the space available with layout 1. Layout 1 is the default layout, and an alternative menu line lay- out is selected using the -L option or by setting the layout variable. Once _n_n is started the layout can be changed at any time using the " key {layout}. The _N_a_m_e is limited to 16 characters, and to make maximum use of this space, _n_n will perform a series of simplifications on the name, e.g. changing first names into initials, removing domain names from mail addresses (if the real name is not found) etc. It does a good job, but some people on the net put weird things into the From: field (or actually into their password file) which result in _n_n producing quite cryptic, and sometimes funny "names". One a usual 80 column terminal, the _S_u_b_j_e_c_t is limited to about 60 characters (75 in layout 3) and is thus only an approximation to the actual subject line which may be much longer. To get as much out of this space, _R_e: prefixes (in various forms) are recognized and replaced by a single `>' character (see the re- layout variable). Since articles are sorted according to the subject, two or more adjacent articles may share the same subject (ignoring any `>'s). In this case, only the first article will show the subject of the article; the rest will only show the `>' character in the subject field (or a `-' if there is no `>' at the beginning of the line). A typical menu will thus only show each subject once, saving a lot of time in scanning the news articles. If _c_o_n_s_o_l_i_d_a_t_e_d _m_e_n_u_s (see section below) are enabled, adjacent articles sharing the same subject will be shown with a _s_i_n_g_l_e line on the menu corresponding to the _f_i_r_s_t of the articles. The number of articles with the same subject will be shown as a brak- eted number in front of the subject, e.g. with layout 1: _x _N_a_m_e......... _1_2_3 [_4] _S_u_b_j_e_c_t.............. For further information see the section on consolidated menus below. Related variables: collapse-subject, columns, confirm-entry, confirm-entry-limit, entry-report-limit, fsort, kill, layout, limit, lines, long-menu, re-layout, repeat, slow-mode, sort, sort-mode, split, subject-match-limit, subject-match-offset, subject-match-parts. 6 Release 6.4.16 NN(1) ARTICLE ATTRIBUTES While _n_n is running and between invocations, _n_n associates an _a_t_t_r_i_b_u_t_e with each article on your system. These attributes are used to differentiate between read and unread articles, selected articles, articles marked for later treatment, etc. Depending on how _n_n is configured, these attributes can be saved between invo- cations of _n_n, or some of them may only be used while _n_n is run- ning. The attribute is shown on the menu using either a single charac- ter following the _a_r_t_i_c_l_e _i_d or by high-lighting the menu line, depending on the attribute and the capabilities of the terminal. You can also change the attributes to your own taste (see the attributes variable). The attribute of an article can be changed explicitly using the selection mode commands described below, or it will change automatically for example when you have read or saved a selected article. If a command may change any article attributes, it will be noted in the description of the command. The following descriptions of the attributes will only mention the most impor- tant commands that may set (or preserve) the attribute. The following attributes may be associated with an article: read Menu attribute "." - indicates that the article has been read or saved. When you leave the group, these articles will be marked permanently read, and are not presented the next time you enter the group. seen Menu attribute "," - indicates that the article is unread, but that it has been _p_r_e_s_e_n_t_e_d on a menu. Depending on how _n_n is configured, these articles will automatically be marked _r_e_a_d when you leave the group, they may remain _s_e_e_n, or they may just be _u_n_r_e_a_d the next time you enter the group (see the auto-junk-seen, confirm-junk-seen, and retain- seen-status variables). 9 Only the commands continue (space) and read-skip (X) will mark _u_n_r_e_a_d articles on the current (or all) menu pages as _s_e_e_n when they are used. Other commands that scroll through the menu pages or enter reading mode will let unread arti- cles remain unread. unread Menu attribute " " - indicates an unread article. These articles were unread when you entered the group, and they may remain unread when you leave the group, unless they have been marked _s_e_e_n by the command that you used to leave the group or enter reading mode. selected Menu line high-lighted (or menu attribute "*") - indicates that you have selected the article. If you leave the group, the selected articles will remain selected the next time you 9 7 NN(1) Release 6.4.16 enter the group. When you have read a selected article, the attribute will automatically change to _r_e_a_d. auto-selected These articles have the same appearance as _s_e_l_e_c_t_e_d articles on the menu, and the only difference is that these articles have been selected automatically via the auto-selection facility rather than manually by you. Very few commands differentiate between these attributes and if they do, it is explicitly stated in this manual. The main difference is that these articles are only marked as _u_n_r_e_a_d when you leave the group (supposing they will also be auto-selected the next the group is entered). This simplifies the house- keeping between invocations of _n_n. leave Menu attribute "+" - indicates that the article is marked for later treatment by the leave-article (l) command. These articles may be selected (on demand) when you have read all selected articles in a group. However, if you do not select them then immediately, they are stored as the leave-next attribute described below. leave-next Menu attribute "=" - indicates that the article is marked for later treatment by the leave-next (L) command. This is a permanent attribute, which will remain on the article until you either read the article, change the attribute, or it is expired. So assinging this attribute to an article will effectively keep it unread until _y_o_u do something. If the variable select-leave-next is set, _n_n will ask whether these articles should be selected on entry to a group (but naturally, doing so will change the leave-next attribute to select). cancelled Menu attribute "#" - indicates that the article has been cancelled. This is mainly useful when tidying a folder; it is set by the cancel (C) command, and can be cleared by any command that change attributes, e.g. you can select and deselect the article. killed Menu attribute "!" - indicates that the article has been killed (e.g. by the K {kill-select} command). Killed arti- cles are immediately removed from the menu, so you should not normally see articles with this attribute. If you do, report it as a bug! The attributes are saved in two files: .newsrc (_r_e_a_d articles) and .nn/select (other attributes). Plain _u_n_r_e_a_d articles are saved by not occurring in either of these files. Both files are described in more detail later on. 8 Release 6.4.16 NN(1) Related variables: attributes, auto-junk-seen, confirm-junk-seen, retain-seen-status, select-leave-next. SELECTION MODE COMMANDS The primary purpose of the selection mode is of course to select the articles to be read, but numerous other commands may also be performed in this mode: saving of articles in files, replying and following up on articles, mailing/forwarding articles, shell escapes etc. As described above, the _s_e_l_e_c_t_e_d articles are marked either by showing the corresponding menu line in standout mode (reverse video), or if the terminal does not have this capability by plac- ing an asterisk (*) after the selection letter or digit. Most commands which are used to select articles will work as tog- gle commands. If the article is not already selected, the _s_e_l_e_c_- _t_e_dattribute on the article(s), independent on the previous attribute. Otherwise, the article(s) will be _d_e_s_e_l_e_c_t_e_d and marked _u_n_r_e_a_d. Consequently, any article can be marked _u_n_r_e_a_d simply be selecting and deselecting it. During selection, the cursor will normally be placed on the arti- cle following the last article whose attribute was changed (ini- tially the first article). The article pointed out by the cursor is called the _c_u_r_r_e_n_t _a_r_t_i_c_l_e, and the following commands work relative to the current article and cursor position. abc...z 01..9 {_a_r_t_i_c_l_e _N} The article with the given identification letter or digit is selected or deselected. The following article becomes the current article. If the variable auto-select-subject is set, all articles with the same subject as the given article are selected. . {select} Select or deselect the current article and move the cursor to the next article. , {line+1} Move the cursor to the next article. You can use the _d_o_w_n _a_r_r_o_w as well. / {line-1} Move cursor to previous article. You can use the _u_p _a_r_r_o_w as well. * {select-subject} Select or deselect all articles with same subject as current article. This will work across several menu pages if neces- sary. -_x {select-range} Select or deselect the range of articles between the current 9 NN(1) Release 6.4.16 article and the article specified by _x. For example you can select all articles from _e to _k by simply typing e-k. The following commands may change the attributes on all articles on the current menu page, or on all articles on all menu pages. @ {select-invert} Reverse selections. All selected articles on the current page are deselected, and vice-versa. (Use the find command to select all articles.) ~ {unselect-all} Deselect all _a_u_t_o-_s_e_l_e_c_t_e_d articles in the group (this works across all menu pages). If the command is executed twice, the _s_e_l_e_c_t_e_d articles will also be deselected. + {select-auto} Perform auto-selections in the group (see the section on "auto kill/select" below). = {find} Prompts for a regular expression, and selects all articles on the menu (all pages) which matches the regular expres- sion. Depending on the variable select-on-sender matching is performed against the subject (default) or the sender of the articles. An empty answer (= return) will reuse the previous expression. Example: The command = . return will select _a_l_l articles in the group. J {junk-articles} This is a very versatile command which can be used to per- form all sorts of attribute changes, either on individual articles, all articles on the current menu page, all arti- cles with a specific attribute, or all available articles. To access all the functions of this command, the J key may have to be hit up to four times, to loop through different one-line menus. The full functionality of the junk-articles command is described in a separate section below. L {leave-next} This is a specialized version of the generic J {junk- articles} command to set the _l_e_a_v_e-_n_e_x_t attribute on a sub- set of the articles on the menu. It is also described further below. The following commands move between the pages belonging to the same news group when there are more articles than will fit on a single page. These commands will not change any article attri- butes. > {page+1} Goto next menu page. < {page-1} 10 Release 6.4.16 NN(1) Goto previous menu page, or to last menu page if on first menu page. $ {page=$} Goto last menu page. ^ {page=1} Goto first menu page. The following commands are used to enter reading mode for the selected articles, and to move between news groups (in selection mode). They may change article attributes if noted below. space {continue} Continue to next menu page, or if on last menu page, read the selected articles. If no articles have been selected, continue to the next news group. The _u_n_r_e_a_d articles on the current menu page will automatically be marked _s_e_e_n. return {continue-no-mark} Identical to the continue command, except that the _u_n_r_e_a_d articles on the current menu page will remain _u_n_r_e_a_d. (The newline key has the same effect). Z {read-return} Enter reading mode _i_m_m_e_d_i_a_t_e_l_y with the currently selected articles. When all articles have been read, return to selection mode in the _c_u_r_r_e_n_t group. It will mark _s_e_l_e_c_t_e_d articles _r_e_a_d as they are read, but _u_n_r_e_a_d articles are not normally changed (can be controlled with the variable marked-by-read-return.) X {read-skip} Mark all _u_n_m_a_r_k_e_d articles _s_e_e_n on all menu pages (or the pages defined by the marked-by-read-skip variable), and enter reading mode _i_m_m_e_d_i_a_t_e_l_y with the currently selected articles. As the selected articles are read, they are marked _r_e_a_d. When all selected articles have been read, _n_n will enter selection mode in the _n_e_x_t news group. When no articles are selected, it goes directly to the next group. This can be used to skip all the articles in a large news group without having to go through all the menu pages. If you don't want to read the current group now, but want to keep it for later, you can use the following commands which will only mark _s_e_e_n and _r_e_a_d articles as read. Currently selected articles will still be selected the next time you enter the group. None of these commands will change any attributes themselves (by default). N {next-group} Go forward to the next group in the presentation sequence. If the variable marked-by-next-group is set articles on the menu can optionally be marked _s_e_e_n 11 NN(1) Release 6.4.16 P {previous} Go back to the previous group. This command will enter selection mode on the last active group (two P commands in sequence will bring you to the current group). If there are still some _u_n_r_e_a_d articles in the group, only those articles will be shown. Otherwise, all the articles which were unread when _n_n was invoked will be shown marked with the _r_e_a_d attribute (which can be changed as usual). As described in the "Article Attributes" section, the _r_e_a_d and _s_e_e_n articles will normally be marked read when you leave the group, and these articles are not shown the next time you enter the group. In all releases prior to release 6.4, it was impossible to have individual articles in a group marked _u_n_r_e_a_d when you left a group, and the default behaviour of release 6.4 will closely match the traditional behaviour. This means that the _s_e_e_n and _r_e_a_d articles are treated alike for most practical purposes with the default variable settings. If you don't like _n_n to silently mark the _s_e_e_n articles read, you can _s_e_t the variable confirm-junk-seen to get _n_n to prompt you for confirmation before doing this, or you can _u_n_s_e_t the variable auto-junk-seen to simply keep the seen articles for the next time you enter the group. You then have to use the J {junk-articles} to mark articles read. Using return {continue-no-mark} will also allow you to keep arti- cles _u_n_r_e_a_d rather than marking them _s_e_e_n when scrolling through the menu pages and entering reading mode. If this is your pre- ferred reading style, you can remap space to this command. Related variables: auto-junk-seen, auto-preview-mode, auto- select-subject, case-fold-search, confirm-auto-quit, confirm- entry, confirm-junk-seen, marked-by-next-group, marked-by-read- return, marked-by-read-skip, retain-seen-status, select-on- sender. CONSOLIDATED MENUS Normally, _n_n will use one menu line for each article, so if there are many articles with identical subjects, each menu page will only contain a few different subjects. To have each subject occur only once on the menu, _n_n can operate with consolidated menus by setting the variable consolidated-menu. When consolidated menus are used, _n_n operates with two kinds of subjects: open and closed. An _o_p_e_n _s_u_b_j_e_c_t is a subject which is shown in the traditional way with one menu line for each article with the given subject. In other words, when consolidated menus are not used, all sub- jects are open (by default). 12 Release 6.4.16 NN(1) A _c_l_o_s_e_d _s_u_b_j_e_c_t is a multi-article subject which is presented by a single menu line. This line will be the normal menu line for the first (oldest) article with the subject, but with the subject field annotated with a bracketed number showing the number of articles with that subject, e.g. 9 a Kim F. Storm 12 [4] Future plans for nn b.Kim F. Storm 43 [3] More plans for nn 9 In this example, there are four unread articles with subject `a' of which the first is posted by me and has 12 lines. The rest of the articles are hidden, and will only be shown on request. The `.' marker on subject `b' shows that all three articles within that subject have been read (or seen). To select (or deselect) ALL the articles within a closed subject, simply select the article shown on the menu; this will automati- cally select (or deselect) the rest (see auto-select-closed). When all the unread articles within a closed subject are selected, the menu line will be high-lighted. If you want to view the individual articles in a subject (maybe to select individual articles), you can open the subject with the commands: (x Open subject _x on menu. (( Open current subject. When you have completed viewing the opened subject, you can close it again using the commands: )x Close subject _x on menu (_x is any article with the subject). )) Close current subject. In the basic layout of the menu line for a closed subject as shown above, ALL articles in the closed subject are supposed to be either: _u_n_r_e_a_d The menu line is _n_o_t high-lighted. _s_e_l_e_c_t_e_d Menu line is fully high-lighted (if all UNREAD are selected). read/seen There is a `.' (read attribute) following the article id. If neither of these cases apply, i.e. there is a mixture of unread, selected, and seen/read articles, the bracketed number will have one of the following formats: [U:T] 13 NN(1) Release 6.4.16 There are U unread articles of T total (U0), the information between the brackets will be high-lighted (to show that something is selected, but not all the unread articles). Notice: Consolidated menus only work with the `subject' and `lexical' sorting methods. Variables related to consolidated menus are: auto-select-closed, consolidated-menu, counter-delim-left, counter-delim-right, counter-padding, save-closed-mode. THE JUNK-ARTICLES AND LEAVE-NEXT COMMANDS The J {junk-articles} command is a very flexible command which can perform all sorts of attribute changes, either on individual articles, all articles on the current menu page, all articles with a specific attribute, or all available articles. To access all the functions of this command, the J key may have to be hit up to four times, to loop through different one-line menus: Mark Read This submenu allows you to mark articles _r_e_a_d. Unmark This submenu allows you to mark articles _u_n_r_e_a_d. Select This submenu allows you to select articles based on their attribute. Kill This submenu allows you to mark articles _r_e_a_d and remove them from the menu based on their attribute. The L {leave-next} command is an extension of the J command with a fifth menu: Leave This menu allows you to mark articles for later handling with the _l_e_a_v_e-_n_e_x_t attribute which will keep the article unread until you explicitly change the attribute (e.g. by reading it) or it is expired. For each of these submenus, _n_n will list the most plausible choices you may use, but all of the following answers can be used at all submenus. When you have entered a choice, _n_n will 14 Release 6.4.16 NN(1) afterward ask whether the change should be made to all menu pages or only the current page. J Show next submenu. L Change attribute on all _l_e_a_v_e articles. N Change attribute on all _l_e_a_v_e-_n_e_x_t articles. R Change attribute on all _r_e_a_d articles. S Change attribute on all _s_e_e_n articles. U Change attribute on all unmarked (i.e. _u_n_r_e_a_d) articles. A Change attribute on _a_l_l articles no matter their current attribute. * Change attribute on all _s_e_l_e_c_t_e_d articles on _t_h_e _c_u_r_r_e_n_t page. + Change attribute on all _s_e_l_e_c_t_e_d articles on _a_l_l pages. a-z0-9 Change attribute on one or more specific articles on the current page. You end the list of articles by a space or by using one of the other choices described above. Change attribute on _c_u_r_r_e_n_t article. , / Move the current article down or up the menu without chang- ing any attributes. READING MODE COMMANDS In reading mode, the _s_e_l_e_c_t_e_d articles are presented one page at a time. To get the next page of an article, simply hit space, and when you are on the last page of an article, hit space to get to the next selected article. Articles are normally marked read when you go to the next article, while going back to the menu, quitting _n_n, etc. will retain the attribute on the current arti- cle. When you are on the last page of the last article, hit space to enter selection mode on the next group (or the current group if reading mode was entered using the Z command). To read an article, the following text scrolling commands are available: space {continue} Scroll _o_n_e _p_a_g_e _f_o_r_w_a_r_d or continue with the next article or group as described above. backspace / delete {page-1} 15 NN(1) Release 6.4.16 Go _o_n_e _p_a_g_e _b_a_c_k_w_a_r_d_s in article. d {page+1/2} Scroll one _h_a_l_f _p_a_g_e _f_o_r_w_a_r_d. u {page-1/2} Go one _h_a_l_f _p_a_g_e _b_a_c_k_w_a_r_d_s. return {line+1} Scroll _o_n_e _l_i_n_e _f_o_r_w_a_r_d in the article. tab {skip-lines} Skip over lines starting with the same character as the last line on the current page. This is useful to skip over included text or to the next file in a shell archive. ^ {page=1} Move to the _f_i_r_s_t _p_a_g_e (excluding the header) of the arti- cle. $ {page=$} Move to the _l_a_s_t _p_a_g_e of the article. g_N {line=@} Move to line _N in the article. /_r_e_g_e_x_p {find} Search forward for text matching the regular expression _r_e_g_e_x_p in the article. If a matching text is found, it will be high-lighted. . {find-next} Repeat search for last regular expression. h {page=0} Show the _h_e_a_d_e_r of the article, and continue from the top of the article. H {full-digest} If the current article is extracted from a digest, show the entire digest article including its header. Another H com- mand will return to the current subarticle. D {rot13} Turn _r_o_t_1_3 (caesar) decryption on and off for the current article, and redraw current page. If the article is saved while it is decrypted on the screen, it will be saved in decrypted form as well! c {compress} Turn compression on and off for the current article and redraw current page. With compression turned on, multiple spaces and tabs are shown as a single space. This makes it much easier to read right justified text which separate 16 Release 6.4.16 NN(1) words with several spaces. (See also the compress variable) The following commands are used to move among the selected arti- cles. n {next-article} Move to next selected article. This command skips the rest of the current article, marks it _r_e_a_d, and jumps directly to the first page of the next selected article (or to the next group if it was the last selected article). l {leave-article} Mark the current article with the _l_e_a_v_e attribute and con- tinue with the next selected article. When all the selected articles in the current group have been read, these _l_e_f_t _o_v_e_r articles can be automatically selected and shown once more, or the treatment can be postponed to the next time you enter the group. This is particularly useful if you see an article which you may want to respond to unless one the following articles is already saying what you intended to say. L {leave-next} Mark the current article with the _l_e_a_v_e-_n_e_x_t attribute and continue with the next selected article. p {previous} Goto previous article. k {next-subject} Kill subject. Skips rest of current article, and all fol- lowing articles with the same subject. The skipped articles are marked _r_e_a_d. To kill a subject permanently use the K command. * {select-subject} Show next article with _s_a_m_e subject (even if it is not selected). This command will _s_e_l_e_c_t all following articles with the same subject as the current article (similar to the `*' command in selection mode). This can be used to select only the first article on a subject in selection mode, and then select all follow-ups in reading mode if you find the article interesting. a {advance-article} Goto the following article on the menu even if it is not selected. This command skips the rest of the current arti- cle and jumps directly to the first page of the next article (it will not skip to the next group if it is the last arti- cle). The attribute on the current article will be restored, except for the _u_n_r_e_a_d attribute which will be changed to _s_e_e_n. b {back-article} 17 NN(1) Release 6.4.16 Goto the article before current article on the menu even if it is not selected. This is similar to the a command, except for the direction. The following commands perform an immediate return from reading mode to selection mode in the _c_u_r_r_e_n_t group or skip to the next group. = {goto-menu} Return to selection mode in the current group (think of = as the "icon" of the selection menu). The articles read so far will be marked _r_e_a_d. N {next-group} Skip the rest of the _s_e_l_e_c_t_e_d and _u_n_r_e_a_d articles in the current group and go directly to the next group. Only the _r_e_a_d (and _s_e_e_n) articles in the current group are marked as read. X {read-skip} Mark _a_l_l articles in the current group as read and go directly to the next group. (You will be asked to confirm this command.) Related variables: case-fold-search, compress, data-bits, date, header-lines, mark-overlap, monitor, overlap, scroll-clear-page, stop, trusted-escape-codes, wrap-header-margin. PREVIEWING ARTICLES IN SELECTION MODE In selection mode, it is possible to read a specific article on the menu without entering reading mode for all the selected arti- cles on the menu. Using the commands described below will enter reading mode for one article only, and then return to the menu mode immediately after (depending on the setting of the preview- continuation variable). If there are more than 5 free lines at the bottom of the menu screen, _n_n will use that space to show the article (a minimal preview window can be permanently allocated with the window vari- able). Otherwise, the screen will be cleared to show the arti- cle. After previewing an article, it will be marked read (if the preview-mark-read variable is set), and the following article will become the current article. %_x {preview} Preview article _x. %% {preview} Preview the current article. When the article is being shown, the following reading mode com- mands are very useful: 18 Release 6.4.16 NN(1) = {goto-menu} Skip the rest of the current article, and return to menu mode. n {next-article} Skip the rest of the current article, and _p_r_e_v_i_e_w _t_h_e _n_e_x_t _a_r_t_i_c_l_e. l {leave-article} Mark the article as _s_e_l_e_c_t_e_d (!) on the menu for handling later on. Then skip the rest of the current article, and preview the next article. %_y {preview} Preview article _y . If the variable auto-preview-mode is set, just hitting the arti- cle id in menu mode will enter preview mode on the specified article. Related variables: auto-preview-mode, min-window, preview- continuation, preview-mark-read, window. SAVING ARTICLES The following commands are used to save articles in files, unpack archives, decode binaries, etc. It is possible to use the com- mands in both reading mode to save the current article and in selection mode to save one or more articles on the menu. The saved articles will be _a_p_p_e_n_d_e_d to the specified file(s) fol- lowed by an empty line each. Both files and directories will be created as needed. When an article has been saved in a file, a message reporting the number of lines saved will be shown if the save-report variable is set (default on). S {save-full} Save articles including the full article header. O {save-short} Save articles with a short header containing only the name of the sender, the subject, and the posting date of the article. W {save-body} Write article _w_i_t_h_o_u_t a header. :print {print} Print article. Instead of a file name, this command will prompt for the print command to which the current article will be piped. The default print command is specified at compile time, but it can be changed by setting the printer variable. The output will be identical to that of the O command. 19 NN(1) Release 6.4.16 :patch {patch} Send articles through patch(1) (or the program defined in the patch-command variable). Instead of a file name, you will be prompted for the name of a directory in which you want the patch command to be executed. _n_n will then pipe the body of the article through the patch command. The output from the patch process will be shown on the screen and also appended to a file named _P_a_t_c_h._R_e_s_u_l_t in the patch directory. :unshar {unshar} Unshar articles. You will be prompted for the name of a directory in which you want _n_n to unshar the articles. _n_n will then pipe the proper parts of the article body into a Bourne Shell whose working directory will be set to the specified directory. During the unpacking, the normal output from the unshar process will appear on the screen, and the menu or article text will be redrawn when the process is finished. The output is also appended to a file named _U_n_s_h_a_r._R_e_s_u_l_t in the unshar directory. The file specified in unshar-header-file (default "Unshar.Headers") in the unshar directory will contain the header and initial text (before the shar data) from the article. You can use the `G' {goto-group} command to look at the Unshar.Headers file. :decode {decode} Decode _u_u_e_n_c_o_d_e_d articles into binary files. You will be prompted for the name of a directory in which you want _n_n to place the decoded binary files (the file names are taken from the uuencoded data). _n_n will combine several articles into single files as needed, and you can even decode unrelated packages (into the same directory) with one decode command. To be able to decode a binary file which spans several articles, _n_n may have to _i_g_n_o_r_e lines which fail the normal sanity checks on uuencoded data instead of treating them as _t_r_a_n_s_m_i_s_s_i_o_n _e_r_r_o_r_s. Consequently, it is strongly recom- mended to check the resulting decoded file using the check- sum which is normally contained in the original article. (Actually, you are also supposed to do this after decoding with a stand-alone uudecode program). The header and initial information in the decoded articles are saved in the file specified in decode-header-file (default "Decode.Headers") in the same directory as the decoded files. If decode-skip-prefix is non-null, :decode will attempt to ignore up to that many characters on each line to find the encoded data. This is particularly useful in some binaries groups where files are both uuencoded and packed with shar; _n_n will ignore the prefix added to each line by shar, and thus be able to unshar, concatenate, and decode multi-part postings automatically. 20 Release 6.4.16 NN(1) In reading mode, the following keys can also be used to invoke the save commands: s Same as S. o Same as O. w Same as W. P Same as :print. The save commands will prompt for a file name which is expanded according to the rules described in the section on file name expansion below. For each group, it is possible to specify a default save file in the init file, either in connection with the group presentation sequence or in a separate save-files section (see below). If a default save file is specified for the group, _n_n will show this on the prompt line when it prompts for the file name. You can edit this name as usual, but if you kill the entire name immediately, _n_n will replace the default name with the last file name you entered. If you kill this as well, _n_n will leave you with a blank line. If the quick-save variable is set, _n_n will only prompt for a save file name when the current article is inside a folder; otherwise, the default save file defined in the init file will be used unconditionally. If the file (and directories in the path) does not exist, _n_n will ask whether the file (and the directories) should be created. If the file name contains an asterisk, e.g. part*.shar _n_n will save each of the articles in uniquely named files con- structed by replacing the asterisk by numbers from the sequence 1, 2, 3, etc. The format of the string that replaces the * can be changed with the save-counter variable, and the first number to use can be changed via save-counter-offset. In _s_e_l_e_c_t_i_o_n mode, _n_n will prompt you for the identifier of one or more articles you want to save. When you don't want to save more articles, just hit space. The saved articles will be marked _r_e_a_d. If you enter an asterisk `*' when you are prompted for an article to save, _n_n will automatically save all the _s_e_l_e_c_t_e_d articles on the _c_u_r_r_e_n_t menu page and mark them _r_e_a_d. Likewise, if you enter a plus `+', _n_n will save all the selected articles on _a_l_l menu pages and mark them _r_e_a_d. This is very useful to unpack an entire package using the :unshar and :decode commands. It can also be used in combination with the _s_a_v_e _s_e_l_e_c_t_e_d _a_r_t_i_c_l_e_s feature to save a selection of 21 NN(1) Release 6.4.16 articles in separate, successively numbered files. But do not confuse these two concepts! The S* and S+ commands can be used to save the selected articles in a single file as well as in separate files, and the _s_a_v_e _i_n _s_e_p_a_r_a_t_e _f_i_l_e_s feature can be used also when saving individual articles, either in the selec- tion mode, or in the article reading mode. When articles are saved in a file with a full or partial header, any header lines in the _b_o_d_y of the article will be escaped by a tilde (e.g. ~From: ...) to enable _n_n to split the folder into separate articles. The escape string can be redefined via the embedded-header-escape variable. Articles can optionally be saved in MAIL or MMDF compatible for- mat by setting the mail-format and mmdf-format variables. These variables only specify the format used when creating a new folder, while appending to an existing folder will be done in the format of the folder (unless folder-format-check is false). Related variables: confirm-append, confirm-create, decode- header-file, decode-skip-prefix, default-save-file, folder-save- file, edit-patch-command, edit-print-command, edit-unshar- command, folder, folder-format-check, mail-format, mmdf-format, patch-command, printer, quick-save, save-counter, save-counter- offset, save-report, suggest-default-save, unshar-command, unshar-header-file. FOLDER MAINTENANCE When more than one article is saved in a folder, _n_n is able to split the folder, and each article in the folder can be treated like a separate article. This means that you can save, decode, reply, follow-up, etc. just as with the original article. You can also _c_a_n_c_e_l (delete) individual articles in a folder using the normal C {cancel} command described later. When you quit from the folder, you will then be given the option to remove the cancelled articles from the folder. The original folder is saved in a file named `BackupFolder~' in the .nn directory (see the backup-folder-path variable) by renam- ing or copying the old folder as appropriate. When the folder has been compressed, the backup folder will be removed unless the variable keep-backup-folder is set. If all articles in a folder are cancelled, the folder will be removed or truncated to zero length (whatever is allowed by directory and file permissions). In this case no backup folder is retained even when keep-backup-folder is set! If the variable trace-folder-packing is set, _n_n will show which articles are kept and which are removed as the folder is rewrit- ten. 22 Release 6.4.16 NN(1) Folders are rewritten in the format of the original folder, i.e. the mail-format and mmdf-format variables are ignored. Related variables: backup-folder-path, keep-backup-folder, trace-folder-packing. FILE NAME EXPANSION When the save commands prompts for a file name, the following file name expansions are performed on the file name you enter: +_f_o_l_d_e_r The + is replaced by the contents of the folder variable (default value "~/News/") resulting in the name of a file in the _f_o_l_d_e_r _d_i_r_e_c_t_o_r_y. Examples: +emacs, +nn, +sources/shar/nn + A single plus is replaced by the expansion of the file name contained in the default-save-file variable (or by folder- save-file when saving from a folder). ~/_f_i_l_e The ~ is replaced by the contents of the environment vari- able HOME, i.e. the path name of your home directory. Exam- ples: ~/News/emacs, ~/News/nn, ~/src/shar/nn ~_u_s_e_r/_f_i_l_e The ~_u_s_e_r part is replaced by the _u_s_e_r's home directory as defined in the /etc/passwd file. |_c_o_m_m_a_n_d-_l_i_n_e Instead of writing to a file, the articles are piped to the given shell (/bin/sh) command-line. Each save or write com- mand will create a separate pipe, but all articles saved or written in one command (in selection mode) are given as input to the same shell command. Example: | pr | lp This will print the articles on the printer after they have been piped through pr. It is possible to create separate pipes for each saved article by using a double pipe symbol in the beginning of the command, e.g. || cd ~/src/nn ; patch The following symbols are expanded in a file name or command: $F will be expanded to the name of the current group with the periods replaced by slashes, e.g. rec/music/synth. $G will be expanded to the name of the current group. $L will be expanded to the _l_a_s_t _c_o_m_p_o_n_e_n_t of the name of the current group. You may use this to create default save file names like +src/$L in the comp.sources groups. 23 NN(1) Release 6.4.16 $N will be expanded to the (local) article number, e.g. 1099. In selection mode it is only allowed at the end of the file name! $(VAR) is replaced by the string value of the environment variable _V_A_R. Using these symbols, a simple naming scheme for `default folder name' is +$G which will use the group name as folder name. Another possibility is +$F/$N. As mentioned above, you can also instruct _n_n to save a series of files in separate, unique files. All that is required is that the file name contains an asterisk, e.g. +src/hype/part*.shar This will cause each of the articles to be saved in separate, unique files named part1.shar, part2.shar, and so on, always choosing a part number that results in a unique file name (i.e. if part1.shar did already exist, the first article would be saved in part2.shar, the next in part3.shar, and so on). Related variables: default-save-file, folder, folder-save-file, save-counter, save-counter-offset. FILE AND GROUP NAME COMPLETION When entering a file name or a news group name, a simple comple- tion feature is available using the space, tab, and ? keys. Hitting space anywhere during input will complete the _c_u_r_r_e_n_t _c_o_m_p_o_n_e_n_t of the file name or group name with the _f_i_r_s_t available possibility. If this possibility is not the one you want, keep on hitting space until it appears. When the right completion has appeared, you can just continue typing the file or group name, or you can hit tab to fix the current component, and get the _f_i_r_s_t possibility for the next component, and then use space to go through the other possible completions. The ? key will produce a list of the possible _c_o_m_p_l_e_t_i_o_n_s of the current component. If the list is too long for the available space on screen, the key can be repeated to get the next part of the list. The current completion can be deleted with the erase key. The default value for a file name is the last file name you have entered, so if you enter a space as the first character after the prompt, the last file name will be repeated (and you can edit it if you like). In some cases, a string will already be written for you in the prompt line, and to get the default value in these 24 Release 6.4.16 NN(1) cases, use the kill key. This also means that if you neither want the initial value, nor the default value, you will have to hit the kill twice to get a clean prompt line. Related variables: comp1-key, comp2-key, help-key, suggest- default-save. POSTING AND RESPONDING TO ARTICLES In both selection mode and reading mode you can post new arti- cles, post follow-ups to articles, send replies to the author of an article, and you can send mail to another user with the option of including an article in the letter. In reading mode, a response is made to the current article, while in selection mode you will be prompted for an article to respond to. The following commands are available (the lower-case equivalents are also available in reading mode): R {reply} Reply through mail to the author of the article. This is the preferred way to respond to an article unless you think your reply is of general interest. F {follow} Follow-up with an article in the same newsgroup (unless an alternative group is specified in the article header). The distribution of the follow-up is normally the same as the original article, but this can be modified via the follow- distribution variable. M {mail} Mail a letter or _f_o_r_w_a_r_d an article to a single recipient. In selection mode, you will be prompted for an article to include in your letter, and in reading mode you will be asked if the current article should be included in the letter. You will then be prompted for the recipient of the letter (default recipient is yourself) and the subject of the letter (if an article is included, you may hit space to get the default subject which is the subject of the included article). The header of the article is only included in the posted letter if it is forwarded (i.e. not edited), or if the vari- able include-full-header is set. :post {post} Post a new article to any newsgroup. This command will prompt you for a _c_o_m_m_a-_s_e_p_a_r_a_t_e_d list of newsgroups to post to (you cannot enter a space because space is used for group name completion as described below). If you enter ? {help-key} as the first key, _n_n will show you a list of all available news groups and their purpose. While paging through this list, you can enter q to quit looking at the list. You can also enter / followed by a regular expression (typically a single word) which will 25 NN(1) Release 6.4.16 cause _n_n to show a (much shorter) list containing only the lines matching the regular expression. Normally, you will be prompted for the distribution of the article with the default take from default-distribution, but this can be changed via the post-distribution variable. Generally, _n_n will construct a file with a suitable header, optionally include a copy of the article in the file with each non-empty line prefixed by a `>' character (except in mail mode), and invoke an editor of your choice (using the EDITOR environment variable) on this file, positioning you on the first line of the body of the article (if it knows the editor). When you have completed editing the message, it will compare it to the unedited file, and if they are identical (i.e. you did not make any changes to the file), or it is empty, the operation is cancelled. Otherwise you will be prompted for an action to take on the constructed article (enter first letter followed by return, or just return to take the default action): 9 a)bort c)c e)dit h)old i)spell m)ail r)eedit s)end v)iew w)rite Action: (post article) 9 You now have the opportunity to perform one of the following actions: a throw the response away (will ask for confirmation), c mail a copy of a _f_o_l_l_o_w-_u_p to the poster of the article, e edit the file again, h hold response for later completion, i run an (interactive) spell-checker on the text, m mail a (blind) copy to a specified recipient, n same as abort (_n_o don't post) p post article (same as send) r throw away the edited text and edit the original text, s send the article or letter, v view the article (through the pager), or w append it to a file (before you send it). y confirm _d_e_f_a_u_l_t _a_n_s_w_e_r (e.g. _y_e_s post it) To complete an unfinished response saved by the h)old command, simply enter any response action, e.g. R {reply}. This will notice the unfinished response and ask you whether you want to complete it now. Only one unfinished response can exist at a time. Notice that the $A environment variable may no longer be valid as a path to the original article when the response is com- pleted. Related variables: append-signature-mail, append-signature-post, default-distribution, follow-distribution, post-distribution, edit-response-check, editor, include-art-id, include-full-header, included-mark, mail-header, mail-record, mail-script, mailer, mailer-pipe-input, news-header, news-record, news-script, orig- to-include-mask, pager, query-signature, record, response-check- 26 Release 6.4.16 NN(1) pause, response-default-answer, save-counter, save-counter- offset, save-report, spell-checker. JUMPING TO OTHER GROUPS By default _n_n will present the news groups in a predefined sequence (see the section on Presentation Sequence later on). To override this sequence and have a look at any other group the G {goto-group} command available in both selection and reading mode enables you to move freely between all the newsgroups. Furthermore, the G command enables you to open folders and other files, to read old articles you have read before, and to grep for a specific subject in a group. It is important to notice that normally the goto command is recursive, i.e. a new _m_e_n_u _l_e_v_e_l is created when the specified group or folder is presented, and when it has been read, _n_n will continue the activity in the group that was presented before the goto command was executed. However, if there are unread articles in the target group you can avoid entering a new menu level by using the j reply described below. The current menu level (i.e. number of nested goto commands) will be shown in the prompt line as "" (in reverse video). The goto command is very powerful, but unfortunately also a lit- tle bit tricky at first sight, because the facilities it provides depend on the context in which the command is used. When executed, the goto command will prompt you for the name of the newsgroup, folder, or file to open. It will use the first letter you enter to distinguish these three possibilities: return An empty answer is equivalent to the current newsgroup. _l_e_t_t_e_r The answer is taken to be the name of a newsgroup. If a news group with the given name does not exist, _n_n will treat the answer as a regular expression and locate the first group in the presentation sequence (or among all groups) whose name matches the expression. + The answer is taken to be the name of a folder. If only `+' is entered, it is equivalent to the default save file for the current group. / _o_r ./ _o_r ~/ The answer is taken to be the name of a file, either rela- tive to the current directory, relative to your home direc- tory, or an absolute path name for the file. % In reading mode, this reply corresponds to reading the current article (and splitting it as a digest). In 27 NN(1) Release 6.4.16 selection mode, it will prompt for an article on the menu to read. @ This choice is equivalent to the archive file for the current group. _n_n_m_a_s_t_e_r maintains archive files with all old and current articles for the groups which have the auto-archive option set in the GROUPS file (see _n_n_m_a_s_- _t_e_r(8)). = and _n_u_m_b_e_r These answers are equivalent to the same answers described below applied to the current group (e.g. G return = and G = are equivalent). Specifying a folder, a file, or an article (with %) will cause _n_n to treat the file like a digest and split it into separate arti- cles (not physically!) which are then presented on a menu in the usual way, allowing you to read or save individual subarticles from the folder. When you enter a group name, _n_n will ask you how many articles in the group you want to see on the menu. You can give the follow- ing answers: _a _n_u_m_b_e_r _N In this case you will get the newest N articles in the group, or if you specified the current group (by hitting return to the group name prompt or entering the number directly), you will get that many _e_x_t_r_a articles included on the same menu (without creating a new menu level). j This answer can only be given if there are unread articles in the group. It will instruct nn to jump directly to the specified group in the presentation sequence _w_i_t_h_o_u_t creat- ing a new menu level. u This instructs _n_n to present the _u_n_r_e_a_d articles in the group (if there are any). If you have already read the group (in the current invocation of _n_n), the u answer will instruct _n_n to present the articles that were unread when you entered _n_n. a This instruct _n_n to present all articles in the group. s_w_o_r_d or =_w_o_r_d This instructs _n_n to search _a_l_l articles in the groups, but only present the articles containing the word _w_o_r_d in the subject. Notice that case is ignored when searching for the word in the subject lines. n_w_o_r_d Same as the s form except that it searched for articles where the sender _n_a_m_e matches _w_o_r_d. 28 Release 6.4.16 NN(1) e_w_o_r_d Same as the s form except that it Psearched for articles where _e_i_t_h_e_r the subject or the sender name matches _w_o_r_d. _w_o_r_d = /_r_e_g_e_x_p When the first character of the _w_o_r_d specified with the s, n, and e forms is a slash `/', the rest of the input is interpreted as a regular expression to search for. Notice that regular expression matching is case insensitive when case-fold-search is set (default). return The meaning of an empty answer depends on the context: if there are unread articles in the specified group the unread articles will be presented, otherwise _a_l_l articles in the group will be included in the menu. If you specified the current group, and the menu already contains all the available articles, _n_n will directly prompt for a word to search for in the subject of all articles (the prompt will be an equal sign.) When the goto command creates a new menu level, _n_n will not per- form auto kill or selection in the group. You can use the + com- mand in menu mode to perform the auto-selections. There are three commands in the goto family: G {goto-group} This is the general goto command described above. B {back-group} Backup one or more groups. You can hit this key one or more times to go back in the groups already presented (including those without new articles); when you have found the group you are looking for, hit space to enter it. A {advance-group} Advance one or more groups. This command is similar to the B command, but operates in the opposite direction. N {next-group} When used within an A or B command, it skips forward to the next group in the sequence with unread articles or which has previously been visited. P {previous} When used within an A or B command, it skips backwards to the preceding group in the sequence with unread articles or which has previously been visited. Once you have entered an A or Bcommand, you can freely mix the A, B, P, and N commands to find the group you want, and you can also use the G command to be prompted for a group name. 29 NN(1) Release 6.4.16 To show the use of the goto command some typical examples on its use are given below: _P_r_e_s_e_n_t _t_h_e _u_n_r_e_a_d _a_r_t_i_c_l_e_s _i_n _t_h_e _d_k._g_e_n_e_r_a_l _g_r_o_u_p 9 G dk.general return u _J_u_m_p _d_i_r_e_c_t_l_y _t_o _t_h_e _g_n_u._e_m_a_c_s _g_r_o_u_p _a_n_d _c_o_n_t_i_n_u_e _f_r_o_m _t_h_e_r_e 9 G gnu.emacs return j _I_n_c_l_u_d_e _t_h_e _l_a_s_t _1_0 _R_E_A_D _a_r_t_i_c_l_e_s _i_n _t_h_e _c_u_r_r_e_n_t _g_r_o_u_p _m_e_n_u 9 G 10 return _F_i_n_d _a_l_l _a_r_t_i_c_l_e_s _i_n _r_e_c._m_u_s_i_c._m_i_s_c _o_n _t_h_e _s_u_b_j_e_c_t _F_l_o_y_d 9 G rec.music.misc return = floyd return 9 _O_p_e_n _t_h_e _f_o_l_d_e_r +_n_n 9 G +nn return _S_p_l_i_t _c_u_r_r_e_n_t _a_r_t_i_c_l_e _a_s _a _d_i_g_e_s_t (_i_n _r_e_a_d_i_n_g _m_o_d_e) 9 G % Related variables: case-fold-search, default-save-file, folder- save-file AUTOMATIC KILL AND SELECTION When there is a subject or an author which you are either very interested in, or find completely uninteresting, you can easily instruct _n_n to _a_u_t_o-_s_e_l_e_c_t or _a_u_t_o-_k_i_l_l articles with specific subjects or from specific authors. These instructions are stored in a _k_i_l_l _f_i_l_e, and the most common types of entries can be created using the following command: K {kill-select} Create an entry in your personal kill file. The contents of the entry is specified during a short dialog that is described in details below. This command is available in both selection and reading mode. Entries in the kill file may apply to a single newsgroup or to all newsgroups. Furthermore, entries may be permanent or they may be expired a given number of days after their entry. To increase performance, _n_n uses a compiled version of the kill file which is read in when _n_n is invoked. The compiled kill file will automatically be updated if the normal kill file has been modified. 9 30 Release 6.4.16 NN(1) The following dialog is used to build the kill file entry: _A_U_T_O (_k)_i_l_l _o_r (_s)_e_l_e_c_t (_C_R => _K_i_l_l _s_u_b_j_e_c_t _3_0 _d_a_y_s) If you simply want _n_n to kill all articles with the subject of the current article (in reading mode) or a specific arti- cle (which _n_n will prompt for in selection mode), just hit return. This will cause _n_n to create an entry in the kill file to kill the current (or specified) subject in the current group for a period of 30 days (which should be enough for the discussion to die out). 9 You can control the default kill period, or change it into a "select" period via the default-kill-select variable. 9 If this "default behaviour" is not what you want, just answer either _k or _s to kill or select articles, respec- tively, which will bring you on to the rest of the ques- tions. _A_U_T_O _S_E_L_E_C_T _o_n (_s)_u_b_j_e_c_t _o_r (_n)_a_m_e (_s) (The _S_E_L_E_C_T will be substituted with _K_I_L_L depending on the previous answer). Here you specify whether you want the kill or select to depend on the subject of the article (s or space), or on the name of the author (n). _S_E_L_E_C_T _N_A_M_E: (Again _S_E_L_E_C_T may be substituted with _K_I_L_L and _S_U_B_J_E_C_T may replace _N_A_M_E). You must now enter a name (or subject) to select (or kill). In reading mode, you may just hit return (or %) to use the name (or subject) of the current article. In selection mode, you can use the name (or subject) from an article on the menu by answering with % followed by the corresponding article identifier. 9 When the name or subject is taken from an article (the current or one from the menu), _n_n will only select or kill articles where the name or subject matches the original name or subject exactly including case. 9 If the first character typed at the prompt is a slash `/', the rest of the line is used as a _r_e_g_u_l_a_r _e_x_p_r_e_s_s_i_o_n which is used to match the name or subject (case _i_nsensitive). 9 Otherwise, _n_n will select or kill articles which _c_o_n_t_a_i_n the specified string anywhere in the name or subject (ignoring case). _S_E_L_E_C_T _i_n (_g)_r_o_u_p `_d_k._g_e_n_e_r_a_l' _o_r _i_n (_a)_l_l _g_r_o_u_p_s (_g) You must now specify whether the selection or kill should apply to the current group only (g or space) or to all groups (a). _L_i_f_e_t_i_m_e _o_f _e_n_t_r_y _i_n _d_a_y_s (_p)_e_r_m_a_n_e_n_t (_3_0) You can now specify the lifetime of the entry, either by entering a number specifying the number of days the entry should be active, or p to specify the entry as a permanent entry. An empty reply is equivalent to 30 days. 9 31 NN(1) Release 6.4.16 _C_O_N_F_I_R_M _S_E_L_E_C_T .... Finally, you will be asked to confirm the entry, and you should especially note the presence or absence of the word exact which specify whether an exact match applies for the entry. Related variables: default-kill-select, kill. THE FORMAT OF THE KILL FILE The kill file consists of one line for each entry. Empty lines and lines starting with a # character are ignored. _n_n automati- cally places a # character in the first position of expired entries when it compiles the kill file. You can then edit the kill file manually from time to time to clean out these entries. Each line has the following format [_e_x_p_i_r_e _t_i_m_e :] [_g_r_o_u_p _n_a_m_e] : _f_l_a_g_s : _s_t_r_i_n_g [: _s_t_r_i_n_g]... Permanent entries have no _e_x_p_i_r_e _t_i_m_e (in which case the colon is omitted as well!). Otherwise, the _e_x_p_i_r_e _t_i_m_e defines the time (as a time_t value) when the entry should be expired. The _g_r_o_u_p _n_a_m_e field can have three forms: _n_e_w_s._g_r_o_u_p._n_a_m_e If it is the name of a single news group (e.g. comp.unix), the entry applies to that group only. /_r_e_g_u_l_a_r _e_x_p_r_e_s_s_i_o_n If it starts with a slash `/' followed by a _r_e_g_u_l_a_r _e_x_p_r_e_s_- _s_i_o_n (e.g. /^news\..*), the entry applies to all groups whose name are matched by the regular expression. _e_m_p_t_y An empty group field will apply the entry to _a_l_l groups. The _f_l_a_g_s field consists of a list of characters which identifies the type of entry, and the interpretation of each _s_t_r_i_n_g field. When used, the flag characters must be used in the order in which they are described below: ~ (optional) When this flag is present on any of the entries for a specific group, it causes all entires which _a_r_e _n_o_t _a_u_t_o- _s_e_l_e_c_t_e_d to be killed. This is a simple way to say: I'm interested in this and that, but nothing else. + or ! (optional) Specify an auto-select + or an auto-kill ! entry, respec- tively. If neither are used, the article is neither selected nor killed which is useful in combination with the `~' flag. > (optional) 32 Release 6.4.16 NN(1) When used with a subject (flag s), the kill entry only matches follow-ups to that subject (i.e. where the Subject: line starts with Re:). For example, to kill all "Re:"'s in rec.humor use the following kill entry: rec.humor:!>s/:. < (optional) When used with a subject (flag s), the kill entry only matches base articles with that subject (i.e. where the Sub- ject: line does not start with Re:). For example, to kill all articles asking for help (but not follow-ups) in the tex group, add this to your kill file: comp.text.tex:!s", the following commands can be placed in the setup file: set included-mark > lock included-mark The current variable settings can be shown with the :set command: :set (without arguments) 40 Release 6.4.16 NN(1) This will give a listing of the variables which have been set in either the init file or interactively. :set all This will give a listing of all variables. Modified vari- ables will be marked with a `*' and _l_o_c_a_l variables will be marked with a `>'. A locked variable is marked with a `!'. :set /_r_e_g_e_x_p This will give a listing of all variables whose name matches the given regular expression. :set _p_a_r_t_i_a_l-_n_a_m_e space The space (comp1-key) key will complete the variable name as usual, but as a side effect it will display the variable's current value in the message line. Variables are global by default, but a local instantiation of the variable can be created using the :local command. The local variable will overlay the global variable as long as the current group is active, i.e. the global variable will be used again when you exit the current group. The initial value of the local vari- able will be the same as the global variable, unless a new value is specified in the :local command: 9 :local _v_a_r_i_a_b_l_e [ _v_a_l_u_e ] 9 The following variables are available: also-full-digest (boolean, default false) When a digest is split, the digest itself is not normally included on the menu, and as such the initial adminstrative information is not available. Setting also-full-digest will cause the (unsplit) digest to be included on the menu. These articles are marked with a @ at the beginning of the subject. also-subgroups (boolean, default true) When set, a group name in the presentation sequence will also cause all the subgroups of the group to be included, for example, comp.unix will also include comp.unix.questions, etc. When also-subgroups is not set, subgroups are only included if the group name is followed by a `.' in which case the main group is _n_o_t included, i.e. `comp.unix' is not included when `comp.unix.' is specified in the presentation sequence, and vice-versa. Following a group name by an asterisk `*', e.g. comp.unix*, will include the group as well as all subgroups independently of the set- ting of also-subgroups. append-signature-mail (boolean, default false) When false, it is assumed that the .signature file is automatically appended to responses sent via E-mail. If true, .signature will be appended to the letter (see query- 41 NN(1) Release 6.4.16 signature). append-signature-post (boolean, default false) When false, it is assumed that the .signature file is automatically appended to posted articles. If true, .signa- ture will explicitly be appended to posted articles (see query-signature). attributes _s_y_m_b_o_l_s (string, default ....) Each element in this string represents a symbol used to represent an article attribute when displayed on the screen. See the section on Marking Articles and Attributes. auto-junk-seen (_b_o_o_l_e_a_n, _d_e_f_a_u_l_t _t_r_u_e) When set, articles which have the _s_e_e_n _a_t_t_r_i_b_u_t_e (,) will be marked read when the current group is left. If not set, these articles will still be either unread or marked seen the next time the group is entered (see also confirm-junk- seen and retain-seen-status). auto-preview-mode (_b_o_o_l_e_a_n, _d_e_f_a_u_l_t _f_a_l_s_e) Enables _A_u_t_o _P_r_e_v_i_e_w _M_o_d_e. In this mode, selecting an arti- cle on the menu using its article id (letter a-z) will enter preview mode on that article immediately. Furthermore, the `n' {next-article} command will preview the next article on the menu only if it has the same subject as the current article; otherwise, it will return to the menu with the cur- sor placed on the next article. The continue command at the end of the article and the `=' {goto-menu} returns to the menu immediately as usual. auto-read-mode-limit _N (integer, default 0) When operating in _a_u_t_o _r_e_a_d_i_n_g _m_o_d_e, _n_n will _a_u_t_o-_s_e_l_e_c_t all unread articles in the group, skip the article selection phase, and enter reading mode directly after entry to the group. Auto reading mode is disabled when auto-read-mode-limit is zero; it is activated unconditionally if the value is nega- tive, and conditionally if the value is greater than zero and the number of unread articles in the current group does not exceed the given value. auto-select-closed _m_o_d_e (integer, default 1) Normally, selecting a _c_l_o_s_e_d _s_u_b_j_e_c_t (usually in consoli- dated menu mode) will select (or deselect) all _u_n_r_e_a_d arti- cles with the given subject (or all articles if they are all read). This behaviour can be changed via the value of this variable as follows: 0: select only the first article with the subject (shown on menu). 1: select only the unread articles with the subject. 2: select all available articles with the subject. auto-select-subject (boolean, default false) When set, selecting an article from the menu using the 42 Release 6.4.16 NN(1) article id (a-z), all articles on the menu with the same subject will automatically be selected as well. backup (boolean, default true) When set, a copy of the initial .newsrc and select files will save be the first time they are changed. _n_n remembers the initial contents of these files internally, so the backup variable can be set any time if not set on start-up. backup-folder-path _f_i_l_e (string, default "BackupFolder~") When removing deleted articles from a folder, this variable defines the name of the file where a (temporary) copy of the original folder is saved. If the _f_i_l_e name doesn't contain a `/', the file will be located in the .nn directory. Oth- erwise the file name is used directly as the relative or full path name of the backup file. If possible, the old folder will be renamed to the backup folder name; otherwise the old folder is copied to the backup folder. backup-suffix _s_u_f_f_i_x (string, default ".bak") The suffix appended to file names to make the corresponding backup file name (see backup). bug-report-address _a_d_d_r_e_s_s (string, default nn-bugs@dkuug.dk) The mail address to which bug reports created with the :bug command are sent. case-fold-search (boolean, default true) When set, string and regular expression matching will be case independent. This is related to all commands matching on names or subjects, except in connection with auto-kill and auto-select where the individual kill file entries specifies this property. check-db-update-time _H (integer, default 12) When non-zero, _n_n will issue a warning if the database has not been updated in the last _H hours. The warning will tell you whether no news has arrived (feed broken?), or whether it is just _n_n_m_a_s_t_e_r which has not updated the database (dead?). check-group-access (boolean, default false) When set, _n_n will perform a check on the readability of a group's readability before showing the menu for that group. Normally, this is not necessary since all users tradition- ally have access to all news groups. Setting (and locking) this variable may be used to limit access to a news group via the permissions and ownership of the group's spool directory (this will only work for non-NNTP sites). collapse-subject _o_f_f_s_e_t (integer, default 25) When set (non-negative), subject lines which are too long to be presented in full on the menus will be "collapsed" by removing a sufficient number of characters from the subject 43 NN(1) Release 6.4.16 starting at the given _o_f_f_s_e_t in the subject. This is useful in source groups where the "Part (01/10)" string sometimes disappears from the menu. When not set (or negative), the subjects are truncated. columns _c_o_l (integer, default screen width) This variable contains the screen width i.e. character posi- tions per line. comp1-key _k_e_y (key, default space) The key which gives the first/next completion, and the default value when _n_n is prompting for a string, e.g. a file name. comp2-key _k_e_y (key, default tab) The key which ends the current completion and gives the first completion for the next component when _n_n is prompting for a string, e.g. a file name. compress (boolean, default false) This variable controls whether text compression (see the compress command) is turned on or off when an article is shown. The compression is still toggled for the current article with the compress command key. confirm-append (boolean, default false) When set, _n_n will ask for confirmation before appending an article to an existing file (see also confirm-create). confirm-auto-quit (boolean, default false) When set, _n_n will ask for confirmation before quitting after having read the last group. If not confirmed, _n_n will recy- cle the presentation sequence looking for groups that were skipped with the `N' {next-group} command. But it will not look for new articles arrived since the invocation of _n_n. confirm-create (boolean, default true) When set, _n_n will ask for confirmation before creating a new file or directory when saving or unpacking an article (see also confirm-append). confirm-entry (boolean, default false) When set, _n_n will ask for confirmation before entering a group with more than confirm-entry-limit unread articles (on the first menu level). It is useful on slow terminals if you don't want to wait until _n_n has drawn the first menu to be able to skip the group. Answering no to the "Enter?" prompt will cause _n_n to skip to the next group without marking the current group as read. If you answer by hitting interrupt, _n_n will ask the question "Mark as read?" which allows you to mark the current group as read before going to the next group. If this second question is also answered by hitting interrupt, _n_n will quit immediately. 44 Release 6.4.16 NN(1) confirm-entry-limit _a_r_t_i_c_l_e_s (integer, default 0) Specifies the minimum number of unread articles in a group for which the confirm-entry functionality is activated. confirm-junk-seen (boolean, default false) When set, _n_n will require confirmation before marking seen articles as read when auto-junk-seen is set. confirm-messages (boolean, default false) In some cases, _n_n will sleep one second (or more) when it has shown a message to the user, e.g. in connection with macro debugging. Setting confirm-messages will cause _n_n to _w_a_i_t for you to confirm all messages by hitting any key. (It will show the symbol <> to indicate that it is awaiting confirmation.) consolidated-manual (boolean, default false) When set, the _o_n_l_i_n_e _m_a_n_u_a_l will be presented with one menu line for each _p_r_o_g_r_a_m in the _n_n package. consolidated-menu (boolean, default false) When set, _n_n will automatically _c_l_o_s_e all multi-article sub- jects on entry to a group, so that each subject only occur once on the menu page. counter-delim-left (string, default "[") The delimiter string output to the left of the article counter in a closed subject's menu line. counter-delim-right (string, default "] ") The delimiter string output to the right of the article counter in a closed subject's menu line. counter-padding _p_a_d (integer, default 5) On a consolidated menu, the subjects may not be very well aligned because the added [...] counters have varying length. To (partially) remedy this, all counters (and sub- jects without counters) are prefixed by up to _p_a_d spaces to get better alignment. Increasing it further may yield prac- tially perfect alignment at the cost of less space for the subject itself. cross-filter-seq (boolean, default true) When set, cross posted articles will be presented in the first possible group, i.e. according to the current presen- tation sequence (_c_r_o_s_s-post _f_i_l_t_e_ring on _s_e_quence). The article is automatically marked read in the other cross posted groups unless you unsubscribe to the first group in which it was shown before reading the other groups. Like- wise, it is sufficient to leave the article unread in the first group to keep it for later handling. If not set, cross-postings are shown in the first group occurring on the Newsgroups: line which the user subscribes to (i.e. you let the poster decide which group is most 45 NN(1) Release 6.4.16 appropriate to read his posting). cross-post (boolean, default false) Normally, _n_n will only show cross-posted articles in the first subscribed group on the Newsgroups: line. When cross-post is set, _n_n will show cross-posted articles in all subscribed groups to which they are posted. data-bits _b_i_t_s (integer, default 7) When set to 7, _n_n will display characters with the 8th bit set using a meta-notation M-_7_b_i_t-_c_h_a_r. If set to 8, these characters are sent directly to the screen (unless monitor is set). 9 It also controls whether keyboard input is 7 or 8 bits, and thus whether key maps contain 127 or 255 entries. See the key mapping section for more details. date (boolean, default true) If set _n_n will show the article posting date when articles are read. debug _m_a_s_k (integer, default 0) Look in the source if you are going to use this. decode-header-file _f_i_l_e (string, default "Decode.Headers") The name of the file in which the header and initial text of articles decoded with the :decode command is saved. Unless the file name starts with a `/', the file will be created in the same directory as the decoded files. The information is not saved if this variable is not set. decode-skip-prefix _N (integer, default 2) When non-null, the :decode command will automatically skip _u_p_t_o _N characters at the beginning of each line to find valid uuencoded data. This allows _n_n to automatically decode (multi-part) postings which are both uuencoded and packed with shar. default-distribution _d_i_s_t_r (string, default "world") The distribution to use as the default suggestion when post- ing articles using the follow and post commands if the corresponding follow-distribution or post-distribution vari- able contains the default option. default-kill-select [_1]_d_a_y_s (number, default 30) Specifies the default action for the K {kill-select} command if the first prompt is answered by return. It contains the number of days to keep the kill or select entry in the kill file (1-99 days). If it has the value _d_a_y_s+100 (e.g. 130), it denotes that the default action is to _s_e_l_e_c_t rather than kill on the subject for the specified period. default-save-file _f_i_l_e (string, default +$F) The default save file used when saving articles in news 9 46 Release 6.4.16 NN(1) groups where no save file has been specified in the init file (either in a save-files section or in the presentation sequence). It can also be specified using the abbreviation "+" as the file name when prompted for a file name even in groups with their own save file. delay-redraw (boolean, default false) Normally, _n_n will redraw the screen after extended commands (:cmd) that clear the screen. When delay-redraw is set _n_n will prompt for another extended command instead of redraw- ing the screen (hit return to redraw). echo-prefix-key (boolean, default true) When true, hitting a prefix key (see the section on key map- ping below) will cause the prefix key to be echoed in the message line to indicate that another key is expected. edit-patch-command (boolean, default true) When true, the :patch command will show the current patch- command and give you a chance to edit it before applying it to the articles. edit-print-command (boolean, default true) When true, the print command will show the current printer command and give you a chance to edit it before printing the articles. Otherwise the articles are just printed using the current printer command. edit-response-check (boolean, default true) When editing a response to an article, it normally does not have any meaning to send the initial file prepared by _n_n unaltered, since it is either empty or only contains included material. When this variable is set, exiting the editor without having changed the file will automatically abort the response action without confirmation. edit-unshar-command (boolean, default false) When true, the :unshar command will show the current unshar-command and give you a chance to edit it before applying it to the articles. editor _c_o_m_m_a_n_d (string, default not set) When set, it will override the current EDITOR environment variable when editing responses and new articles. embedded-header-escape _s_t_r_i_n_g (string, default '~') When saving an article to a file, header lines embedded in the body of the article are escaped using this string to make it possible for _n_n to split the folder correctly after- wards. Header lines are not escaped if this variable is not set. enter-last-read-mode _m_o_d_e (integer, default 1) Normally, _n_n will remember which group is active when you 47 NN(1) Release 6.4.16 quit, and offer to jump directly to this group when you start _n_n the next time. This variable is used to control this behaviour. The following _m_o_d_e values are recognized: 0: Ignore the remembered group (r.g.). 1: Enter r.g. if the group is unread (with user confirmation) 2: Enter r.g. or first unread group after it in the sequence (w/conf). 3: Enter r.g. if the group is unread (no confirmation) 4: Enter r.g. or first unread group after it in the sequence (no conf). entry-report-limit _a_r_t_i_c_l_e_s (integer, default 300) Normally, _n_n will just move the cursor to the upper left corner of the screen while it is reading articles from the database on entry to a group. For large groups this may take more than a fraction of a second, and _n_n can then report what it is doing. If it must read more articles than the number specified by this variable, _n_n will report which group and how many articles it is reading. erase-key _k_e_y (key, default tty erase key) The key which erases the last input character when _n_n is prompting for a string, e.g. a file name. expert (boolean, default false) If set _n_n will use slightly shorter prompts (e.g. not tell you that ? will give you help), and be a bit less verbose in a few other cases (e.g. not remind you that posted articles are not available instantly). expired-message-delay _p_a_u_s_e (integer, default 1) If a selected article is found to have been expired, _n_n will normally give a message about this and sleep for a number of seconds specified by this variable. Setting this variable to zero will still make _n_n give the message without sleeping afterwards. Setting it to -1 will cause the message not to be shown at all. flow-control (boolean, default true) When set, _n_n will turn on xon/xoff flow-control before writ- ing large amounts of text to the screen. This should guard against lossage of output, but in some network configura- tions it has had the opposite effect, losing several lines of the output. This variable is always true on systems with CBREAK capabilities which can do single character reads without disabling flow control. flush-typeahead (boolean, default false) When true, _n_n will flush typeahead prior to reading commands from the keyboard. It will not flush typeahead while read- ing parameters for a command, e.g. file names etc. folder _d_i_r_e_c_t_o_r_y (string, default ~/News) The full pathname of the _f_o_l_d_e_r _d_i_r_e_c_t_o_r_y which will replace the + in folder names. It will be initialized from the FOLDER environment variable if it is not set in the _i_n_i_t 48 Release 6.4.16 NN(1) file. folder-format-check (boolean, default true) When saving an article with a full or partial header in an existing folder, _n_n will check the format of the folder to be able to append the article in the proper format. If this variable is not set, folders are assumed to be in the format specified via the mmdf-format and mail-format variables, and articles are saved in that format without checking. Other- wise, the *-format variables are only used to determine the format for _n_e_w folders. folder-save-file _f_i_l_e (string, default not set) The default save file used when saving articles _f_r_o_m a folder. follow-distribution _w_o_r_d_s (string, default see below) This variable controls how the Distribution: header is con- structed for a follow-up to an original article. Its value is a list of _w_o_r_d_s selected from the following list: 9 [ [ always ] same ] [ ask ] [ default | _d_i_s_t_r_i_b_u_t_i_o_n ] 9 This is interpreted in two steps: - First the default distribution is determined. If same is specified and the original article has a Distribution: header, that header is used. Else if default is specified (or _d_i_s_t_r_i_b_u_t_i_o_n is omitted), the value of default- distribution is used. And finally, if only a _d_i_s_t_r_i_b_u_t_i_o_n (any word) is specified that is used as the default. - Then if ask is specified, the user will be asked to con- firm the default distribution or provide another distribu- tion. However, if always (and same) is specified, and the default was taken from the original article's distribution, the original distribution is used _w_i_t_h_o_u_t confirmation. The default value of follow-distribution is always same default, i.e. use either the original distribution or the default-distribution without confirmation in either case. from-line-parsing _s_t_r_i_c_t_n_e_s_s (integer, default 2) Specifies how strict _n_n must parse a "From " line in a folder to recognize it as a mail format message separator line. The following strictness values determine whether a line starting with "From " will be recognized as a separator line: 0: Always. 1: Line must have at least 8 fields. 2: Line must contain a valid date and time (ctime style). fsort (boolean, default true) When set, folders are sorted alphabetically according to the subject (and age). Otherwise, the articles in a folder will be presented in the sequence in which they were saved. guard-double-slash (boolean, default false) 49 NN(1) Release 6.4.16 Normally, when entering a file name, entering two slashes `//' in a row (or following a slash by a plus `/+') will cause _n_n to erase the entire line and replace it with the `/' (or `+'). On some systems, two slashes are used in net- work file names, and on those systems guard-double-slash can be set; that will cause _n_n to require _t_h_r_e_e slashes in a row to clear the input. header-lines _l_i_s_t (string, no default) When set, it determines the list of header fields that are shown when an article is read instead of the normal one line header showing the author and subject. See the full description in the section on Customized Article Headers below. help-key _k_e_y (key, default ?) The key which ends the current completion and gives a list of possible completions for the next component when _n_n is prompting for a string, e.g. a file name. ignore-xon-xoff (boolean, default false) Normally, _n_n will ignore ^S and ^Q in the input from the terminal (if they are not handled in the tty driver). Set- ting this variable will treat these characters as normal input. include-art-id (boolean, default false) The first line in a response with included material normally reads "...somebody... writes:" without a reference to the specific article from which the quotation was taken (this is found in the References: line). When this variable is set, the line will also include the article id of the referenced article: "In ...article... ... writes:". include-full-header (boolean, default false) When set, the mail (M) command will always include the full header of the original article. If it is not set, it only includes the header when the article is forwarded without being edited. include-mark-blank-lines (boolean, default false) When set, the included-mark is placed on blank lines in included articles. Otherwise, blank lines are left blank (to make it easy to delete whole paragraphs with `d}' in vi and `C-@ M-] C-W' in emacs). included-mark _s_t_r_i_n_g (string, default ">") This string is prefixed to all lines in the original article that are included in a reply or a follow-up. (Now you have the possibility to change it, but please don't. Lines with a mixture of prefixes like : orig-> <> } ] #- etc. are very difficult to comprehend. Let's all use the stan- dard folks! (And hack inews if it is the 50% rule that 50 Release 6.4.16 NN(1) bothers you.) inews _s_h_e_l_l-_c_o_m_m_a_n_d (string, default "INEWS_PATH -h") The program which is invoked by _n_n to deliver an article to the news transport. The program will be given a complete article including a header containing the newsgroups to which the article is to be posted. See also inews-pipe- input. It is _n_o_t used when cancelling an article! inews-pipe-input (boolean, default true) When set, the article to be posted will be piped into the inews program. Otherwise, the file containing the article will be given as the first (and only) argument to the inews command. initial-newsrc-file _f_i_l_e (string, default '.defaultnewsrc') Defines the name of a file which is used as the initial .newsrc file for new users. The name may be a full path name, or as the default a file name which will be looked for in a number of places: in the standard news lib directory (where it can be shared with other news readers), in nn's lib directory, and in the database directory. Groups which are not present in the initial .newsrc file will be automat- ically unsubscribed provided new-group-action is set to a value allowing unsubscribed groups to be omitted from .newsrc. keep-backup-folder (boolean, default false) When set, the backup folder (see backup-folder-path) created when removing deleted articles from a folder is not removed. Notice that a backup folder is not created if all articles are removed from a folder! keep-unsubscribed (boolean, default true) When set, unsubscribed groups are kept in .newsrc. If not set, _n_n will automatically remove all unsubscribed from .newsrc if tidy-newsrc is set. See also unsubscribe-mark- read. kill (boolean, default true) If set, _n_n performs automatic kill and selection based on the _k_i_l_l file. kill-debug (boolean, default false) When set, _n_n will display a trace of the auto-kill/select process on entry to a group. It is automatically turned off if `q' is entered as the answer to a "hit any key" prompt during the debug output. kill-key _k_e_y (key, default tty kill key) The key which deletes the current line when _n_n is prompting for a string, e.g. a file name. kill-reference-count _N (integer, default 0) 51 NN(1) Release 6.4.16 When this variable is non-zero, all articles which have _N or more references on the References: line (corresponding to the number of >>'s on the menu line) will be auto-killed if they are not auto-selected (or preserved) via an entry in the kill file. It should probably not be used globally for all groups, but can be set on a per-group via the entry mac- ros. layout _n_u_m_b_e_r (integer, default 1) Set the menu layout. The argument must be a number between 0 and 4. limit _m_a_x-_a_r_t_i_c_l_e_s (integer, default infinite) _L_i_m_i_t the maximum number of articles presented in each group to _m_a_x-_a_r_t_i_c_l_e_s. The default is to present _a_l_l unread arti- cles no matter how many there are. Setting this variable, only the most recent _m_a_x-_a_r_t_i_c_l_e_s articles will be presented, but all the articles will still be marked as read. This is useful to get up-to-date quickly if you have not read news for a longer period. lines _l_i_n (integer, default screen height) This variable contains the screen height i.e. number of lines. long-menu (boolean, default false) If set _n_n will not put an empty line after the header line and an empty line before the prompt line; this gives you two extra menu lines. macro-debug (boolean, default false) If set _n_n will trace the execution of all macros. Prior to the execution of each command or operation in a macro, it will show the name of the command or the input string or key stroke at the bottom of the screen. mail _f_i_l_e (string, default not set) _f_i_l_e must be a full path name of a file. If defined, _n_n will check for arrival of new mail every minute or so by looking at the specified file. mail-alias-expander _p_r_o_g_r_a_m (string, default not set) When set, aliases used in mail responses may be expanded by the specified _p_r_o_g_r_a_m. The program will be given the com- pleted response in a file as its only argument, and the aliases should be expanded directly in this file (of course the _p_r_o_g_r_a_m may use temporary files and other means to expand the aliases as long the the result is stored in the provided file). Notice: currently there are no alias expanders delivered with _n_n. Warning: Errors in the expansion process may lead to the response not being sent. 52 Release 6.4.16 NN(1) mail-format (boolean, default false) When set, _n_n will save articles in a format that is compati- ble with normal mail folders. Unless folder-format-check is false, it is only used to specify the format used when new folders are created. This variable is ignored if mmdf- format is set. mail-header _h_e_a_d_e_r_s (string, default not set) The _h_e_a_d_e_r_s string specifies one or more extra header lines (separated by semi-colons `;') which are added to the header of mail sent from _n_n using the reply and mail commands. For example: set mail-header Reply-To: storm@texas.dk;Organization: TI - DK mail-record _f_i_l_e (string, default not set) _f_i_l_e must be a full path name of a file. If defined, all replies and mail will be saved in this file in standard _m_a_i_l_b_o_x format, i.e. you can use you favourite mailer (and _n_n) to look at the file. mail-script _f_i_l_e (string, default not set) When set, _n_n will use the specified file instead of the standard _a_u_x script when executing the reply and mail com- mands. mailer _s_h_e_l_l-_c_o_m_m_a_n_d (string, default REC_MAIL) The program which is invoked by _n_n to deliver a message to the mail transport. The program will be given a complete mail message including a header containing the recipient's address. See also mailer-pipe-input. mailer-pipe-input (boolean, default true) When set, the message to be sent will be piped into the mailer program. Otherwise, the file containing the message will be given as the first (and only) argument to the mailer command. marked-by-next-group _N (integer, default 0) Specifies the amount of (unmarked) articles on the menu marked _s_e_e_n by the N {next-group} command in selection mode. See marked-by-read-skip for possible values of _N. marked-by-read-return _N (integer, default 0) Specifies the amount of (unmarked) articles on the menu marked _s_e_e_n by the Z {read-return} command in selection mode. See marked-by-read-skip for possible values of _N. marked-by-read-skip _N (integer, default 4) Specifies the amount of (unmarked) articles on the menu marked _s_e_e_n by the X {read-skip} command in selection mode. The following values of _N are recognized: 0: No articles are marked seen 1: Current page is marked seen 53 NN(1) Release 6.4.16 2: Previous pages are marked seen 3: Previous and current pages are marked seen 4: All pages are marked seen mark-overlap (boolean, default false) When set, _n_n will draw a line (using the underline capabili- ties of the terminal if possible) to indicate the end of the overlap (see the overlap variable). mark-overlap-shading (boolean, default false) When set, _n_n will _s_h_a_d_e overlapping lines (see the overlap variable) using the attributes defined by the shading-on and shading-off variables (of if not set, with the underline attribute). This is typically used to give overlapping lines a different colour on terminals which have this capa- bility. menu-spacing _m_o_d_e (integer, default 0) When _m_o_d_e is a non-zero number as described below, _n_n will add blank lines between the lines on the menu to increase readability at the cost of presenting fewer articles on each page. The following values of _m_o_d_e are recognized: 0: Don't add blank lines between menu lines. 1: Add a blank line between articles with _d_i_f_f_e_r_e_n_t subjects. 2: Add a blank line between _a_l_l articles. merge-report-rate _r_a_t_e (integer, default 1) When _n_n is invoked with the -m option (directly or via _n_n_g_r_a_p), a status report of the merging process is displayed and updated on the screen every _r_a_t_e seconds. The report contains the time used so far and an estimate of the time needed to complete the merge. message-history _N (integer, default 15) Specifies the maximum number, _N, of older messages which can be recalled with the ^P {message} command. min-window _s_i_z_e (integer, default 7) When the window variable is not set, _n_n will clear the screen to preview an article if there are less than _s_i_z_e unused lines at the bottom of the menu screen. mmdf-format (boolean, default false) When set, _n_n will save articles in MMDF format. Unless folder-format-check is false, it is only used to specify the format used when new folders are created. monitor (boolean, default false) When set, _n_n will show _a_l_l characters in the received mes- sages using a "cat -v" like format. Otherwise, only the printable characters are shown (default). motd (boolean, default true) When set, _n_n will display the _m_e_s_s_a_g_e _o_f _t_h_e _d_a_y on start-up 54 Release 6.4.16 NN(1) if it has changed since it was last shown. The message is taken from the file "motd" in the lib directory. It can also be shown (again) using the :motd command. multi-key-guard-time _t_i_m_e_o_u_t (integer, default 2) When reading a multi-key sequence from the keyboard, _n_n will expect the characters constituting the multi-key to arrive "quickly" after each other. When a partial multi-key sequence is read, _n_n will wait (at least) _t_i_m_e_o_u_t tenths of a second for each of the following characters to arrive to complete the multi-key sequence. If the multi-key sequence is _n_o_t completed within this period, _n_n will read the par- tial multi-key sequence as individual characters instead. This way it is still possible to use for example the ESC key on a terminal with vt100 like arrow keys. When _n_n is used via an rlogin connection, you may have to increase the timeout to get reliable recognition of multi-keys. new-group-action _a_c_t_i_o_n (integer, default 3) This variable controls how new groups are treated by _n_n. It is an integer variable, and the following values can be used. Some of these actions (marked with an *) will only work when keep-unsubscribed is set, since the presence of a group in .newsrc is the only way to recognize it as an old group: 9 0) Ignore groups which are not in .newsrc. This will obvi- ously include new groups. 9 1*) Groups not in .newsrc are considered to be new, and are inserted at the beginning of the .newsrc file. 9 2*) Groups not in .newsrc are considered to be new, and are appended to the end of the .newsrc file. 9 3) New groups are recognized via a time-stamp saved in the file .nn/LAST and in the database, i.e. it is not dependent on the groups currently in .newsrc. The new groups are automatically appended to .newsrc with subscription. Old groups not present in .newsrc will be considered to be unsubscribed. 9 4) As 3, but the user is asked to confirm that the new group should be appended to .newsrc. If rejected, the group will not be appended to .newsrc, and thus be regarded as unsubscribed. 9 5) As 4, except that the information is stored in a format compatible with the _r_n news reader (.rnlast). This needs to be tested! new-style-read-prompt (boolean, default true) When set, the reading mode prompt line includes the group name and the number of selected articles in the group. news-header _h_e_a_d_e_r_s (string, default not set) The _h_e_a_d_e_r_s string specifies one or more extra header lines 55 NN(1) Release 6.4.16 (separated by semi-colons `;') which are added to the header of articles posted from _n_n using the follow and post com- mands. See mail-header for an example. news-record _f_i_l_e (string, default not set) Save file for follow-ups and postings. Same rules and for- mat as the mail-record variable. news-script _f_i_l_e (string, default not set) When set, _n_n will use the specified file instead of the standard _a_u_x script when executing the follow and post com- mands. newsrc _f_i_l_e (string, default "~/.newsrc") Specifies the file used by _n_n to register which groups and articles have been read. The default setting corresponds to the .newsrc file used by other news readers. Notice that _n_n release 6.4 _d_o_e_s _a_l_l_o_w individual articles to be marked unread, and some articles marked unread, and thus no longer messes up .newsrc for other news readers! nntp-cache-dir _d_i_r_e_c_t_o_r_y (string, default "~/.nn") When NNTP is used, _n_n needs to store articles temporarily on disk. This variable specifies which directory _n_n will use to hold these files. The default value may be changed dur- ing configuration. This variable can only be set in the init file. nntp-cache-size _s_i_z_e (integer, default 10, maximum 10) Specifies the number of temporary files in the nntp cache. The default and maximum values may be changed during confi- guration. nntp-debug (boolean, default false) When set, a trace of the nntp related traffic is displayed in the message line on the screen. old [_m_a_x-_a_r_t_i_c_l_e_s] (integer, default not set) When old is set, _n_n will present (or scan) all (or the last _m_a_x-_a_r_t_i_c_l_e_s) unread as well as read articles. While old is set, _n_n will _n_e_v_e_r mark any unread articles as read. orig-to-include-mask _N (integer, default 3) When replying to an article, _n_n will include some of the header lines which may be used to construct a proper mail address for the poster of the original article. These addresses are placed on _O_r_i_g-_T_o: lines in the reply header and will automatically be removed before the letter is sent. This variable specifies which headers from the article are included; its value _N is the sum of the following values: 1: _R_e_p_l_y-_T_o: 2: _F_r_o_m: 4: _P_a_t_h: 56 Release 6.4.16 NN(1) overlap _l_i_n_e_s (integer, default 2) Specifies the number of overlapping lines from one page to the next when paging through an article in reading mode. The last line from the previous page will be underlined if the terminal has that capability. pager _s_h_e_l_l-_c_o_m_m_a_n_d (string, default $PAGER) This is the pager used by the :admin command (and _n_n_a_d_m_i_n) when it executes certain commands, e.g. grepping in the Log file. patch-command _s_h_e_l_l-_c_o_m_m_a_n_d (string, default "patch -p0") This is the command which is invoked by the :patch command. post-distribution _w_o_r_d_s (string, default see below) This variable controls how the Distribution: header is con- structed when posting an original article. Its value is a list of _w_o_r_d_s selected from the following list: 9 [ ask ] [ default | _d_i_s_t_r_i_b_u_t_i_o_n ] 9 This is interpreted in two steps: - First the default distribution is determined. If default is specified (or _d_i_s_t_r_i_b_u_t_i_o_n is omitted), the value of default-distribution is used. Otherwise, the specified _d_i_s_- _t_r_i_b_u_t_i_o_n (any word) is used as the default. - Then if ask is specified, the user will be asked to con- firm the default distribution or provide another distribu- tion. The default value of post-distribution is ask default, i.e. use the default-distribution with confirmation from the user. preview-continuation _c_o_n_d (integer, default 12) This variable determines on what terms the following article should be automatically shown when previewing an article, and the next-article command is used, or continue is used at the end of the article. The following values can be used: 0 - never show the next article (return to the menu). 1 - always show the next article (use 'q' to return to the menu). 2 - show the next article if it has the same subject as the current article, else return to the menu. The value should be the _s_u_m of two values: one for the action after using continue on the last page of the article, and one for the action performed when the next-article com- mand is used _m_u_l_t_i_p_l_i_e_d _b_y _1_0. preview-mark-read (boolean, default true) When set, previewing an article will mark the article as read. previous-also-read (boolean, default true) When set, going back to the previously read group with P {previous} will include articles read in the current 57 NN(1) Release 6.4.16 invocation of _n_n even if there are still unread articles in the group. print-header-lines _f_i_e_l_d_s (string, default "FDGS") Specifies the list of header fields that are output when an article is printed via the :print command and print-header- type is 1 (short header). The _f_i_e_l_d_s specification is desctribed in the section on Customized Article Headers below. print-header-type _N (integer, default 1) Specifies what kind of header is printed by the :print com- mand, corresponding to the three save-* commands: _0 prints only the article body (no header), _1 prints a short header, and _2 prints the full article header. printer _s_h_e_l_l-_c_o_m_m_a_n_d (string, default is system dep.) This is the default value for the print command. It should include an option which prevents the spooler from echoing a job-id or similar to the terminal to avoid problems with screen handling (e.g. lp -s on System V). query-signature (boolean, default ...) Will cause _n_n to require confirmation before appending the .signature file to out-going mail or news if the correspond- ing append-sig-... variable is set. quick-count (boolean, default true) When set, calculating the total number of unread articles at start-up is done by simple subtracting the first unread article number from the total number of articles in each group. This is very fast, and fairly accurate but it may be a bit too large. If not set, each line in .newsrc will be interpreted to count every unread article, thus giving a very accurate number. This variable is also used by _n_n_c_h_e_c_k. quick-save (boolean, default false) When set, _n_n will not prompt for a file name when an article is saved (unless it belongs to a folder). Instead it uses the save file specified for the current group in the init file or the default save file. re-layout _N (integer, default 0) Normally on the menu, _n_n will prefix the subject a number of `>'s corresponding to the number of references on the Refer- ences: line. The re-layout variable may be set to use a different prefix on the subjects: 0: One `>' per reference is shown (default). 1: A single `>' is shown if the Subject contains Re:. 2: The number of references is shown as `n>' 3: A single Re: is shown. 4: If any references use layout 0, else layout 1. 58 Release 6.4.16 NN(1) re-layout-read _N (integer, default -1) When the header-lines variable is not set, or contains the "*" field specifier, a line similar to the menu line will be used as the header of the article in reading mode, including the sender's name and the article's subject. When this variable is negative, the subject on this header line will be prefixed according to the re-layout variable. Otherwise, it will define the format of the "Re:" prefix to be used instead of the re-layout used on the menu. read-return-next-page (boolean, default false) When set, the Z {read-return} command will return to the _n_e_x_t menu page rather than the current menu page. record _f_i_l_e (string, no default) Setting this _p_s_e_u_d_o variable will set both the mail-record and the news-record variables to the specified pathname. repeat (boolean, default false) When set, _n_n will not eliminate duplicated subject lines on menus (I cannot imagine why anyone should want that, but....) repeat-group-query (boolean, default false) When set, invoking _n_n with the -g option will always repeat the query for a group to enter until you quit explicitly. (Same as setting the -r option permanently). report-cost (boolean, default true) This variable is ignored unless _n_n is running with account- ing enabled (see _n_n_a_c_c_t). When set, _n_n will report the cost of the current session and the total on exit. response-check-pause _p_a_u_s_e (integer, default 2) Specifies the number of seconds to wait after posting an article to see whether the action *might* have failed. Some commands run in the background and may thus not have com- pleted during this period, so even when _n_n says "Article posted", it may still fail (in which case you are informed via mail). response-default-answer _a_c_t_i_o_n (string, default "send") The default action to be taken when hitting return to the "response action" prompt (abort, edit, send, view, write). If it is unset, no default action is defined. retain-seen-status (boolean, default false) Normally, seen articles will just be unread the next time the group is entered (unless they were marked read by auto- junk-seen). If retain-seen-status is set, the seen attri- bute on the articles will survive to the next time the group is entered. (This is not recommended because it may result in very large select files). 59 NN(1) Release 6.4.16 retry-on-error _t_i_m_e_s (integer, default 0) When set, _n_n will try the specified number of _t_i_m_e_s to open an article before reporting that the article does not exist any more. This may be necessary in some network environ- ments. save-closed-mode _m_o_d_e (integer, default 13) When saving an article in selection mode (i.e. by selecting it from the menu), _n_n will simply save the specified article if the article's subject is _o_p_e_n. When the selected menu entry is a closed subject, the save-closed-mode variable determines how many articles among the closed articles should be saved: 0: save root article (the one on the menu) only 1: save selected articles within subject 2: save unread (excl selected) articles within subject 3: save selected+unread articles within subject 4: save all articles within subject If `10' is added to the above values, _n_n will not save the selected subject immediately; instead it will ask which articles to save using the above value as the default answer. save-counter _f_o_r_m_a_t (string, default "%d") This is the printf-format which _n_n uses to create substitu- tion string for the trailing * in save file names. You can set this to more complex formats if you like, but be sure that it will produce different strings for different numbers. An alternative format which seems to be popular is ".%02d" . save-counter-offset _N (integer, default 0) Normally, file names created with the _p_a_r_t.* form will sub- stitute the * with successive numbers starting from one. Setting this variable will cause these numbers to start from _N+1. save-header-lines _f_i_e_l_d_s (string, default "FDNS") Specifies the list of header fields that are saved when an article is saved via the O {save-short} command. The _f_i_e_l_d_s specification is desctribed in the section on Customized Article Headers below. save-report (boolean, default true) When set, a message reporting the number of lines written is shown after saving an article. Since messages are shown for a few seconds, this may slow down the saving of many arti- cles (e.g. using the S* command). scroll-clear-page (boolean, default true) Determines whether _n_n clears the screen before showing each new page of an article. scroll-last-lines _N (integer, default 0) 60 Release 6.4.16 NN(1) Normally, _n_n will show each new page of an article from the top of the screen (with proper marking of the overlap). When this variable is set to a negative value, _n_n will scroll the text of the new pages from the bottom of the screen instead. If it is set to a positive value, _n_n will show pages from the top as usual, but switch to scrolling when there are _l_e_s_s _t_h_a_n the specified number of lines left in the article. select-leave-next (boolean, default false) When set, you will be asked whether to select articles with the leave-next attribute on entry to a group with left over articles. select-on-sender (boolean, default false) Specifies whether the find (=) command in article selection mode will match on the subject or the sender. shading-on _c_o_d_e... (control string, default not set) Specifies the escape code to be sent to the terminal to cause "shading" of the following output to the screen. This is used if the mark-overlap-shading is set, and by the `+' attribute in the header-lines variable. shading-off _c_o_d_e... (control string, default not set) Specifies the escape code to be sent to the terminal to turn off the shading defined by shading-on. Shading will typi- cally be done by changing the foreground colour to change, e.g. 9 on term ti924-colour set shading-on ^[ [ 3 2 m set shading-off ^[ [ 3 7 m set mark-overlap-shading unset mark-overlap end shell _p_r_o_g_r_a_m (string, default $SHELL) The shell program used to execute shell escapes. shell-restrictions (boolean, default false) When set (in the init file), _n_n will not allow the user to invoke the shell in any way, including saving on pipes. It also prevents the user from changing certain variables con- taining commands. show-purpose-mode _N (integer, default 1) Normally, _n_n will show the purpose of a group the first time it is read, provided a purpose is known. Setting this vari- able, this behaviour can be changed as follows: 0: Never show the purpose. 1: Show the purpose for new groups only. 2: Show the purpose for all groups. silent (boolean, default false) 9 61 NN(1) Release 6.4.16 When set, _n_n wont print the logo or "No News" if there are no unread articles. Only useful to set in the init file or with the -Q option. slow-mode (boolean, default false) When set, _n_n will cut down on the screen output to give better response time at low speed. Normally, _n_n will use standout mode (if possible) to mark selected articles on the menu, but when slow-mode is set, _n_n will just put an aster- isk `*' next to the article identifier on selected articles. Also when slow-mode is set _n_n will avoid redrawing the screen in the following cases: After a goto-group command an empty menu is shown (hit space to make it appear), and after responding to an article, only the prompt line is shown (use ^L to redraw the screen). To avoid redrawing the screen after an extended command, set the delay-redraw vari- able as well. slow-speed _s_p_e_e_d (integer, default 1200) If the terminal is running at this baud rate or lower, the on slow (see the section on init files) condition will be true, and the on fast will be false (and vice-versa). sort (boolean, default true) When set, _n_n will sort articles according to the current sort-mode on entry to a group. Otherwise, articles will be presented in order of arrival. If not set on entry to a menu for merged groups, the articles from each group will be kept together on the menu. If sort is unset while merged groups are presented on the menu, the articles will be reor- dered by local article number (which may not keep articles from the same group together). sort-mode _m_o_d_e (integer, default 1) The default sort algorithm used to sort the articles on entry to a news group. It is a numeric value corresponding to one of the sorting methods described in connection with the :sort command: 0 - arrival (ordered by article number) 1 - subject (subjects ordered after age of first arti- cle) 2 - lexical (subjects in lexicographical order) 3 - age (articles ordered after posting date only) 4 - sender (articles ordered after sender's name) spell-checker _s_h_e_l_l-_c_o_m_m_a_n_d (string, default not set) When set, responses can be checked for spelling mistakes via the (i)spell action. The command to perform the spelling is given the file containing the full article including header as its only argument. If the spell checker can fix spelling mistakes, it must apply the changes directly to this file. split (boolean, default true) When set, digests will automatically and silently be split 62 Release 6.4.16 NN(1) into sub-articles which are then handled transparently as normal articles. Otherwise, digests are presented as one article (which you can split on demand with the G command). stop _l_i_n_e_s (integer, default not set) When stop is set, _n_n will only show the first _l_i_n_e_s lines of the of each article before prompting you to continue. This is useful on slow terminals and modem lines to be able to see the first few lines of longer articles (and skipping the rest with the n command). subject-match-limit _l_e_n_g_t_h (integer, default 256) Subjects will be considered identical if their first _l_e_n_g_t_h characters match. Setting this uncritically to a low value may cause unexpected results! subject-match-offset _o_f_f_s_e_t (integer, default 0) When set to a positive number, that many characters at the beginning of the subject will be ignored when comparing sub- jects for ordering and equality purposes. subject-match-parts (boolean, default false) When set, two subjects will be considered equal if they are identical up to the first (differing) digit. Together with the subject-match-offset variable, this can be used in source groups where the subject often has a format like: 9 vXXXXXX: Name of the package (Part 01/04) 9 Setting subject-match-offset to 8 and subject-match-parts to true will make _n_n consider all four parts of the package having the same subject (and thus be selectable with `*'). 9 Notice that changing the subject-match-... variables manu- ally will not have an immediate effect. To reorder the menu, an explicit :sort command must be performed. These variables are mainly intended to be set using the :local command in on entry macros for source and binary groups (entry macros are evaluated before the menu is collected and sorted). suggest-default-save (boolean, default true) When set, _n_n will present the default-save-file when prompt- ing for a save file name in a group without a specific save file, or folder-save-file when saving from a folder. When not set, no file name is presented, and to use the default save file, a single + must be specified. tidy-newsrc (boolean, default false) When set, _n_n will automatically remove lines from .newsrc which represent groups not found in the active file or unsubscribed groups if keep-unsubscribed is not set. time (boolean, default true) When set, _n_n will show the current time in the prompt line. This is useful on systems without a _s_y_s_l_i_n_e (_1) utility. 9 63 NN(1) Release 6.4.16 trace-folder-packing (boolean, default true) When set, a trace of the retained and deleted messages is printed when a folder is rewritten. trusted-escape-codes _c_o_d_e_s (string, default none) When set to a list of one or more characters, _n_n will trust and output _e_s_c_a_p_e characters in an article if it is followed by one of the characters in the list. For example, to switch to or from kanji mode, control codes like "_e_s_c $" and "_e_s_c ( J" may be present in the text. To allow these codes, use the following command: 9 set trusted-escape-codes ($ 9 You can also set it to all to pass all espace codes through to the screen. Notice that _n_n thinks all characters (including _e_s_c) output to the screen as occupy one column. unshar-command _s_h_e_l_l-_c_o_m_m_a_n_d (string, default "/bin/sh") This is the command which is invoked by the unshar command. unshar-header-file _f_i_l_e (string, default "Unshar.Headers") The name of the file in which the header and initial text of articles unpacked with the :unshar command is saved. Unless the file name starts with a `/', the file will be created in the same directory as the unpacked files. The information is not saved if this variable is not set. Setting it to "Unshar.Result" will cause the headers and the results from the unpacking process to be merged in a meaningful way (unless mmdf-format is set). unsubscribe-mark-read (boolean, default true) When set, unsubscribing to a group will automatically mark all current articles read; this is recommended to keep the size of .newsrc down. Otherwise, unread articles in the unsubscribe groups are kept in .newsrc. If keep- unsubscribed is false, this variable has no effect. update-frequency (integer, default 1) Specifies how many changes need to be done to the .newsrc or select files before they are written back to disk. The default setting causes .newsrc to be updated every time a group has been read. use-path-in-from (boolean, default false) When mail-format is set, saved articles will be preceded by a specially formatted "From " line: From origin date Normally, the origin will be the name of the news group where the article appeared, but if use-path-in-from is set, the contents of the "Path:" header will be used as the ori- gin. use-selections (boolean, default true) When set, _n_n uses the selections and other article 64 Release 6.4.16 NN(1) attributes saved last time _n_n was used. If not set, _n_n ignores the select file. visible-bell (boolean, default true) When set, _n_n will flash the screen instead of "ringing the bell" if the visible bell (flash) capability is defined in the termcap/terminfo database. window _s_i_z_e (integer, default not set) When set, _n_n will reserve the last _s_i_z_e lines of the menu screen for a preview window. If not set, _n_n will clear the screen to preview an article if there are less than min- window lines at the bottom of the screen. As a side effect, it can also be used to reduce the size of the menus, which may be useful on slow terminals. word-key _k_e_y (key, default ^W) The key which erases the last input component or word when _n_n is prompting for a string, e.g. the last name in a path name. wrap-header-margin _s_i_z_e (integer, default 6) When set (non-negative), the customized header fields speci- fied in header-lines will be split across several lines if they don't fit on one line. When _s_i_z_e is greater than zero, lines will be split at the first space occurring in the last _s_i_z_e columns of the line. If not set (or negative), long header lines will be truncated if they don't fit on a single line. CUSTOMIZED ARTICLE HEADER PRESENTATION Normally, _n_n will just print a (high-lighted) single line header containing the author, subject, and date (optional) of the arti- cle when it is read. By setting the header-lines variable as described below, it is possible to get a more informative multi line header with optional high-lighting and underlining. The header-lines variable is set to a list of header line iden- tifiers, and the customized headers will then contain exactly these header lines _i_n _t_h_e _s_p_e_c_i_f_i_e_d _o_r_d_e_r. The same specifications are also used by the :print and save- short commands via the print-header-lines and save-header-lines variables. The following header line identifiers are recognized in the header-lines, print-header-lines, and save-header-lines vari- ables: A Approved: a Spool-File:(path of spool file containing the arti- cle) 65 NN(1) Release 6.4.16 B Distribution: C Control: D Date: d Date-Received: F From: f Sender: G Newsgroup:(current group) g Newsgroup:(current group if cross-posted or merged) I Message-Id: K Keywords: L Lines: N Newsgroups: n Newsgroups: (but only if cross posted) O Organization: P Path: R Reply-To: S Subject: v Save-File:(the default save file for this article) W Followup-To: X References: x Back-References: Y Summary: The 'G' and 'g' fields will include the local article number if it is known, e.g. Newsgroup: news.software.nn/754 The following special symbols are recognized in the header-lines variable (and ignored otherwise): Preceding the identifier with an equal sign "=" or an underscore "_" will cause the header field contents to be high-lighted or underlined. A plus sign "+" will use the shading attribute defined by shading-on and shading-off to high-light the field contents. If no shading attribute is defined it will underline the field instead. Including an asterisk "*" in the list will produce the standard one line header at that point. Example: The following setting of the header-lines variable will show the author (underlined), organization, posting date, and subject (high-lighted) when articles are read: 9 set header-lines _FOD=S COMMAND LINE OPTIONS Some of the command line options have already been described, but below we provide a complete list of the effect of each option by showing the equivalent set, unset, or toggle command. 9 66 Release 6.4.16 NN(1) Besides the options described below, you can set _a_n_y of _n_n's variables directly on the command line via an argument of the following format: 9 variable=value 9 To set or unset a boolean variable, the value can be specified as _o_n or _o_f_f (_t and _f will also work). Notice that the init files are read _b_e_f_o_r_e the options are parsed (unless you use the -I option). Therefore, the options which are related to boolean variables set in the init file will toggle the value set there, rather than the default value. Consequently, the meaning of the options are also user-defined. The explanations below describe the effect related to the default setting of the variables, with the `reverse' effect in square brackets. -a_N {set limit _N} _L_i_m_i_t the maximum number of articles presented in each group to _N. This is useful to get up-to-date quickly if you have not read news for a longer period. -a0 Mark _a_l_l unread articles as read. See the full explanation at the beginning of this manual. -B {toggle backup} Do not [do] backup the rc file. -d {toggle split} Do not [do] split digests into separate articles. -f {toggle fsort} Do not [do] sort folders according to the subject (present the articles in a folder in the sequence in which they were saved). -g Prompt for the name of a news group or folder to be entered -i {toggle case-fold-search} Normally searches with -n and -s are case independent. Using this option, the case becomes significant. -I Do not read the init file. This must be the first option!! The global _s_e_t_u_p file is still read. -I_f_i_l_e-_l_i_s_t Specifies an alternate list of init files to be loaded instead of the standard global and private init files. The list is a comma-separated list of file names. Names which does not contain a `/' are looked for in the ~/.nn direc- tory. An empty element in the list is interpreted as the global init file. The list of init files must _n_o_t be separated from the -I option by blanks, and it must be the 67 NN(1) Release 6.4.16 first option. Example: The default behaviour corresponds to using -I,init (first the global file, then the file ~/.nn/init). The global _s_e_t_u_p file is still read as the first init file independently of the -I option used. -k {toggle kill} Do not [do] perform automatic kill and selection of arti- cles. -l_N {set stop _N} Stop after printing the first _N lines of each article. This is useful on slow terminals. -L[_f] {set layout _f} Select alternative menu layout _f (0 to 4). If _f is omitted, menu layout 3 is selected. -m {_n_o _c_o_r_r_e_s_p_o_n_d_i_n_g _v_a_r_i_a_b_l_e} Merge all articles into one `meta group' instead of showing them one group at a time. When -m is used, no articles will be marked as read. -n_W_O_R_D Collect only articles which contain the string _W_O_R_D in the sender's name (case is ignored). If _W_O_R_D starts with a slash `/', the rest of the argument is used as a _r_e_g_u_l_a_r _e_x_p_r_e_s_s_i_o_n instead of a fixed string. -N {_n_o _c_o_r_r_e_s_p_o_n_d_i_n_g _v_a_r_i_a_b_l_e} Disable updating of the rc file. This includes not record- ing that groups have been read or unsubscribed to (although _n_n will think so until you quit). -q {toggle sort} Do not [do] sort the articles (q means quick, but it isn't any quicker in practice!) -Q {toggle silent} Quiet mode - don't [do] print the logo or "No News" mes- sages. -r {toggle repeat-group-query} Make -g repeat query for a group to enter. -s_W_O_R_D Collect only articles which contain the string _W_O_R_D in their subject (case is ignored). If _W_O_R_D starts with a slash `/', the rest of the argument is used as a _r_e_g_u_l_a_r _e_x_p_r_e_s_s_i_o_n instead of a fixed string. -S {toggle repeat} Do not [do] eliminate duplicated subject lines on menus. -T {toggle time} 68 Release 6.4.16 NN(1) Do not [do] show the current time in the prompt line. -w[_N] {set window _N} Reserve _N lines of the menu screen for a preview window. If _N is omitted, the preview window is set to 5 lines. -W {toggle confirm-messages} [Don't] Wait for confirmation on all messages. -x[_N] {set old N} Present (or scan) all (or the last _N) unread as well as read articles. This will _n_e_v_e_r mark unread articles as read. -X {_n_o _c_o_r_r_e_s_p_o_n_d_i_n_g _v_a_r_i_a_b_l_e} Read/scan unsubscribed groups also. Most useful when look- ing for a specific subject in all groups, e.g. nn -mxX -sSubject all MACRO DEFINITIONS Practically any combination of commands and key strokes can be defined as a macro which can be bound to a single key in menu and/or reading mode. The macro definition must specify a sequence of commands and key strokes as if they were typed directly from the keyboard. For example, a string specifying a file name must follow a save com- mand. This manual does not give a complete specification of all the input required by the various commands; it is recommended to execute the desired command sequence from the keyboard prior to defining the macro to get the exact requirements of each command. Although it is possible to define temporary macros interactively using the :define command, macro definitions are normally placed in the _i_n_i_t file. Macros are numbered from 0 to 100, i.e. it is possible to define a total of 101 different macros (implicit mac- ros defined with the map command uses internal numbers from 101 to 200). To define macro number _M, the following construction is used (the line breaks are mandatory): define _M _b_o_d_y end The _b_o_d_y consists of a sequence of _t_o_k_e_n_s separated by white space (blanks or newlines). However, certain _t_o_k_e_n_s continue to the end of the current line. The following _t_o_k_e_n_s may occur in the macro _b_o_d_y: _C_o_m_m_e_n_t_s Empty lines and text following a # character (preceded by white space) is ignored. 69 NN(1) Release 6.4.16 _C_o_m_m_a_n_d _N_a_m_e_s Any command name listed in the key mapping section can be included in a macro causing that command to be invoked when the macro is executed. _E_x_t_e_n_d_e_d _C_o_m_m_a_n_d_s All the extended commands which can be executed through the command command (normally bound to the : key) can also be executed in a macro. An extended command starts with a colon (:) and continues to the end of the current line. Example: :show groups total _K_e_y _S_t_r_o_k_e_s A key stroke (which is normally mapped into a command depending on the current mode) is specified as a key name enclosed in single quotes. Examples (A-key, left arrow key, RETURN key): 'A' 'left' '^M' _S_h_e_l_l _C_o_m_m_a_n_d_s External commands can be invoked as part of a macro execu- tion. There are two forms of shell command invocations available depending on whether a command _m_a_y produce output or require user input, or it is _g_u_a_r_a_n_t_e_e_d to complete without input or output to the terminal. The difference is that in the latter case, _n_n does not prepare the terminal to be used by another program. When the command completes, the screen is _n_o_t redrawn automatically; you should use the redraw command to do that. The tho forms are: 9 :!echo this command uses the terminal :!!echo this command does not > /tmp/file _S_t_r_i_n_g_s Input to commands prompting for a string, e.g. a file name, can be specified in a macro as a double quoted string. Example (save without prompting for a file name): save-short "+$G" _C_o_n_d_i_t_i_o_n_a_l_s Conditionals may occur anywhere in a macro; a conditional is evaluated when the macro is executed, and if the condition is false _t_h_e _r_e_s_t _o_f _t_h_e _c_u_r_r_e_n_t _l_i_n_e _i_s _i_g_n_o_r_e_d. The fol- lowing conditionals are available: ?menu True in menu mode ?show True in reading mode ?folder True when looking at a folder ?group True when looking at a news group ?yes Query user, true if answer is yes ?no Query user, true if answer is no Example (stop macro execution if user rejects to continue): prompt "continue? " ?no break 9 In addition to these conditionals, it is possible to test 70 Release 6.4.16 NN(1) the current value of boolean and integer variables using the following form: ?_v_a_r_i_a_b_l_e=_v_a_l_u_e This conditional will be true (1) if the variable is an integer variable whose current value is the one specified, or (2) if the variable is a boolean variable which is either on or off. Examples: ?layout=3 :set layout 1 ?monitor=on break ?sort=off :sort age break Terminate macro execution completely. This includes nested macros. Example (stop if looking at a folder): ?folder break return Terminate execution of current macro. If the current macro is called from another macro, execution of that macro con- tinues immediately. input Query the user for a key stroke or a string, for example a file name. Example (prompt the user for a file name in the usual way): save-short input yes Confirm unconditionally _i_f a command requires confirmation. It is ignored if the command does not require confirmation. Example (confirm creation of new files): save-short "+$G" yes no Terminate execution of current macro _i_f a command requires confirmation; otherwise ignore it. If neither yes nor no is specified when a command requires confirmation, the user must answer the question as usual - if the user confirms the action execution continues normally; otherwise the execution of the current macro is terminated. Example (do not create new files): save-short "+$L/misc" no prompt _s_t_r_i_n_g Print the _s_t_r_i_n_g in the prompt line (highlighted). The string must be enclosed in double quotes. Example: prompt "Enter recipient name" When the macro terminates, the original prompt shown on entry to the macro will automatically be redrawn. If this is not desirable (e.g. if the macro goes from selection to reading mode), the redrawing of the prompt can be disabled by using a prompt command with an empty _s_t_r_i_n_g (""). Exam- ple: prompt "Enter reading mode?" # old prompt is saved ?no return # and old prompt is restored read-skip # changes the prompt 71 NN(1) Release 6.4.16 prompt "" # so forget old prompt echo _s_t_r_i_n_g Display the _s_t_r_i_n_g in the prompt line for a short period. Example: ?show echo "Cannot be used in reading mode" break puts _s_t_r_i_n_g-_t_o-_e_n_d-_o_f-_l_i_n_e The rest of the line is output directly to the terminal without interpretation. macro _M Invoke macro number _M. The maximum macro nesting level is five (also catches macro loops). I use the following macro to quickly save all the selected files in a file whose name is entered as usual. It also works in read- ing mode (saving just the current article). define 1 :unset save-report save-short input yes ?menu '+' :set save-report end KEY MAPPINGS The descriptions of the keys and commands provided in this manual reflects the default key mappings in _n_n. However, you can easily change these mappings to match your personal demands, and it is also possible to remap keys depending on the terminal in use. Permanent remapping of keys must be done through the _i_n_i_t file, while temporary changes (for the duration of the current invoca- tion of _n_n) can be made with the :map command. The binding and mapping of keys are controlled by four tables: The multikey definition table This table is used for mapping multicharacter key sequences into single characters. By default the table contains the mappings for the four cursor keys, and there is room for 10 user-defined multikeys. The fourteen multikeys are named: up, down, right, left (the four arrow keys), and #0 through #9 for the user-defined keys. 9 Multikey #_i (where _i is a digit or an arrow key name) is defined using the following command: 9 map #_i _k_e_y-_s_e_q_u_e_n_c_e 9 where the _s_e_q_u_e_n_c_e is a list of 7-bit character names (see below) separated by spaces. For example, if the HOME key sends the sequence ESC [ H, you can define multikey #0 to be the home key using the command: 9 map #0 ^[ [ H 72 Release 6.4.16 NN(1) The input key mapping table All characters that are read from the keyboard will be mapped through the input mapping table. Consequently, you can globally remap one key to produce any other key value. By default all keys are mapped into themselves. 9 An entry in the input key mapping table to map _i_n_p_u_t-_k_e_y into _n_e_w-_k_e_y is made with the command 9 map key _i_n_p_u_t-_k_e_y _n_e_w-_k_e_y 9 For example, to make your ESC key function as interrupt you can use the command 9 map key ^[ ^G The selection mode key binding table This table defines for each key which command should be invoked when that key is pressed in selection mode, i.e. when the article menu is shown. The command to bind a _k_e_y to a _c_o_m_m_a_n_d in selection mode is: 9 map menu _k_e_y _c_o_m_m_a_n_d 9 For example, to have the HOME key defined as multikey #0 above bound to the select command, the following command is used: 9 map menu #0 select 9 To remap a key to select a specific article on the menu (which the `a' through `z' keys do by default), the _c_o_m_m_a_n_d must be specified as `article _N' where _N is the entry number on the menu counted from zero (i.e. a=0, b=1, ..., z=25, 0=26, ..., 9=35). For example, to map `J' to select article `j', the following command is used: 9 map menu J article 9 The reading mode key binding table This table defines for each key which command should be invoked when that key is pressed in reading mode, i.e. when the article text is shown. The command to bind a _k_e_y to a _c_o_m_m_a_n_d in reading mode is: 9 map show _k_e_y _c_o_m_m_a_n_d In addition to the direct mappings described above, the following variations of the map command are available: User defined keymaps Additional keymaps can be defined using the command 9 make map _n_e_w_m_a_p 9 This will create a new keymap which can initialized using normal map commands, e.g. 9 map _n_e_w_m_a_p _k_e_y _c_o_m_m_a_n_d 9 To activate a user-defined keymap, it must be bound to a 73 NN(1) Release 6.4.16 _p_r_e_f_i_x _k_e_y: 9 map _b_a_s_e-_m_a_p _p_r_e_f_i_x-_k_e_y prefix _n_e_w_m_a_p 9 When used, the prefix key itself does not activate a com- mand, but instead it require another key to be entered and then execute the command bound to that key in the keymap which is bound to the prefix key. For example, to let the key sequence "^X i" execute macro number 10 in both modes, the following commands can be used: 9 make map ctl-x map ctl-x i macro 10 map both ^X prefix ctl-x Mapping keys in both modes Using the pseudo-keymap `both', it is possible to map a key to a command in both selection and reading mode at once. For example, to map the home key to macro number 5 in both modes, the following command can be used: 9 map both #0 macro 5 Aliasing A key can also be mapped directly to the command currently bound to another key. Later remapping of the other key will not change the mapping of the `aliased' key. This is done using the following command: 9 map _k_e_y_m_a_p _n_e_w-_k_e_y as _o_l_d-_k_e_y Binding macros to keys A previously defined macro can be bound to a key using the command: 9 map _k_e_y_m_a_p _k_e_y macro _m_a_c_r_o-_n_u_m_b_e_r Implicit macro definitions An implicit macro can also be defined directly in connection with the map command: 9 map _k_e_y_m_a_p _k_e_y ( _b_o_d_y... ) Keys and character names are specified using the following nota- tion: _C A single printable character represents the key or character itself. ^_C This notation represents a control key or character. DEL is written as ^? _1_2_5, _0_1_7_5, _0_x_7_D Characters and keys can be specified by their ordinal value in decimal, octal, and hexadecimal notation. 9 74 Release 6.4.16 NN(1) up, down, right, left These names represent the cursor keys. #0 through #9 These symbols represent the ten user-defined multikeys. If the variable data-bits is 7, key maps can specify binding of all keys in the range 0x00 to 0x7F, and the 8th bit will be stripped in all keyboard input. If the variable data-bits is 8, the 8th bit is not cleared, and key maps are extended to allow binding of keys in the range 0xA0 to 0xFE (corresponding to the national characters defined by the ISO 8859 character sets). Binding commands to these keys can be done either by using their numeric value, or directly specifying the 8 bit character in the map command, e.g. 9 map menu 0xC8 macro 72 map key 'e % To show the current contents of the four tables, the following versions of the :map command are available: :map Show the current mode's key bindings. :map menu Show the selection mode key bindings. :map show Show the reading mode key bindings. :map # Show the multikey definition table. :map key Show the input key mapping table. STANDARD KEY BINDINGS Below is a list of all the commands that can be bound to keys, either in selection mode, in reading mode, or both. For each command the default command key bindings in both modes are shown. If the key is not bound in one of the modes, but it can be bound, the corresponding part will just be empty. If the command cannot be bound in one of the modes, that mode will contain the word nix. _F_u_n_c_t_i_o_n _S_e_l_e_c_t_i_o_n _m_o_d_e _R_e_a_d_i_n_g _m_o_d_e advance-article nix a advance-group A A article _N a-z0-9 nix back-article nix b back-group B B cancel C C command : : compress nix c continue space space 9 75 NN(1) Release 6.4.16 continue-no-mark return nix decode find = / find-next nix . follow F fF full-digest nix H goto-group G G goto-menu nix = Z help ? ? junk-articles J nix kill-select K K layout " nix leave-article nix l leave-next L L line+1 , down return line-1 / nix line=@ nix g macro _M mail M m M message ^P ^P next-article nix n next-group N N next-subject nix k nil overview Y Y page+1 > nix page+1/2 nix d page-1 < delete backspace page-1/2 nix u page=0 nix h page=1 ^ ^ page=$ $ $ patch post preview % % previous P p print P quit Q Q read-return Z nix read-skip X X redraw ^L ^R ^L ^R reply R r R rot13 nix D save-body W w W save-full S s S save-short O o O select . nix select-auto + nix select-invert @ nix select-range - nix select-subject * * shell ! ! skip-lines nix tab unselect-all ~ nix 76 Release 6.4.16 NN(1) unshar unsub U U version V V See the descriptions of the default bindings for a description of the commands. The pseudo command nil is used to _u_n_b_i_n_d a key. THE INIT FILES The _i_n_i_t files are used to customize _n_n's behaviour to local con- ventions and restrictions and to satisfy each user's personal taste. Normally, _n_n reads upto three init files on start-up if they exist (all init files are optional): $LIB/setup A system-wide file located in the library directory. This file is _a_l_w_a_y_s loaded before any other init file (even when the -I option is specified). It cannot contain a group presentation sequence. $LIB/init Another system-wide (global) init file located in the library directory. This file may be ignored via the -I option. ~/.nn/init The private init file located in the user's ._n_n directory. It is read after the global init file to allow the user to change the default setup. The init file is parsed one line at a time. If a line ends with a backslash `\', the backslash is ignored, and the following line is appended to the current line. The init file may contain the following types of commands (and data): Comments Empty lines and lines with a # character as the first non- blank character are ignored. Except where # has another meaning defined by the command syntax (e.g. multi-keys are named #_n), trailing comments on input lines are ignored. Variable settings You can set (or unset) all the variables described earlier to change nn's behaviour permanently. The set and unset commands you can use in the init file have exactly the same format as the :set and :unset commands described earlier (except that the : prefix is omitted.) 9 Variables can also be locked via the lock command; this is typically done in the _s_e_t_u_p file to enforce local policies. Key mappings You can use all the versions of the map command in the init 9 77 NN(1) Release 6.4.16 file. Macro Definitions You can define sequences of commands and key strokes using the define...end construction, which can then be bound to single keys with the map command. Load terminal specific files You can load a terminal specific file using the 9 load _f_i_l_e 9 The character @ in the _f_i_l_e will be replaced by the terminal type defined in the TERM environment variable. _n_n silently ignores the load command if the file does not exist (so you don't have to have a specific init file for terminals which does not require remapping). If the file is not specified by an absolute pathname, it must reside in your ~/.nn direc- tory. Examples: # load local customizations load /usr/lib/nninit # load personal terminal specific customizations load init.@ Switch to loading a different init You can skip the rest of the current init file and start loading a different init file with the following command: 9 chain _f_i_l_e 9 If this occur in the private or global init file, the chained init file may contain a sequence part which will replace the private or global presentation sequence respec- tively. Stop loading current init file You can skip the rest of the current init file with the fol- lowing command: 9 stop Give error messages and/or terminate If an error is detected in the init file, the following com- mands can be used to print an error message and/or terminate execution: 9 error _f_a_t_a_l _e_r_r_o_r _m_e_s_s_a_g_e... Print the message and terminate execution. 9 echo _w_a_r_n_i_n_g _m_e_s_s_a_g_e... Print the message and continue. 9 exit [ _s_t_a_t_u_s ] Terminate _n_n with the specified exit status or 0 if omitted. Change working directory of nn You can use the cd command to change the working directory 78 Release 6.4.16 NN(1) whenever you enter _n_n. Example: # Use folder directory as working directory inside _n_n cd ~/News Command groups The init file can contain groups of commands which are exe- cuted under special conditions. The command groups are described in the section on command groups below. One or more save-files sections A save-files section is used to assign default save files to specific groups: 9 save-files _g_r_o_u_p-_n_a_m_e (_p_a_t_t_e_r_n) _f_i_l_e-_n_a_m_e ... end 9 The group name (patterns) and save file names are specified in the same way as in the presentation sequence (see below). Example: save-files news* +news/$L comp.sources* /u/src/$L/ end The news group presentation sequence The _l_a_s_t part of the init file may specify the sequence in which you want the news groups to be presented. This part starts with the command sequence and continues to the end of the init file. Both init files may contain a presentation sequence. In this case, the global sequence is _a_p_p_e_n_d_e_d to the private sequence. COMMAND GROUPS Command groups may only occur in the init file, and they provide a way to have series of commands executed at certain points dur- ing news reading. In release 6.4, these possibilities are still rather rudimentary, and a mixture of normal init file syntax and macro syntax is used depending on whether the command group is only executed on start-up or several times during the _n_n session. A command group begins with the word on and ends with the word end. The following command groups are conditionally executed during the parsing of the init file if the specified _c_o_n_d_i_t_i_o_n is true. They may also have an optional else part which is executed if the _c_o_n_d_i_t_i_o_n is false: 9 on _c_o_n_d_i_t_i_o_n commands [ else commands ] end 9 79 NN(1) Release 6.4.16 The following conditional command groups may be used in the init file to be executed at start-up: on [ _t_e_s_t ] The commands (init file syntax) in the group are executed only if the specified _t_e_s_t is true. A shell is spawned to execute the command "[ _t_e_s_t ]", so all the options of the test(1) command is available. For example, to unset the flow-control variable if the tty is a pseudo-tty, the fol- lowing conditional can be used: on [ -n "`tty | grep ttyp`" ] unset flow-control end on !_s_h_e_l_l _c_o_m_m_a_n_d The command group is executed if the given _s_h_e_l_l _c_o_m_m_a_n_d exits with 0 status (success). Care should be taken that the command does not produce any output, e.g. by redirecting its output to /dev/null. For example, to prevent people from reading news if load is above a specific level, the following conditional might be placed in the global setup file. on !load-above 5 error load is too high, try again later. end on `_s_h_e_l_l _c_o_m_m_a_n_d` _s_t_r_i_n_g... The command group is executed if the _f_i_r_s_t _o_u_t_p_u_t _l_i_n_e from executing the specified _s_h_e_l_l _c_o_m_m_a_n_d is listed among the specified _s_t_r_i_n_g values. The _s_h_e_l_l _c_o_m_m_a_n_d can be omitted on subsequent occurrences of this conditional, in which case the output from the last shell command is used. For exam- ple, the following conditional can be used to switch to an init file which has a limited sequence for news reading dur- ing working hours, evenings, and nights: on `date +%H` 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 chain init.work end on `` 17 18 19 20 21 chain init.evening else chain init.night end on `` _s_t_r_i_n_g... This is equivalent to the previous form except that instead of executing a shell command, the output from the previous on $_v_a_r_i_a_b_l_e [ _v_a_l_u_e ] If no _v_a_l_u_e strings are specified, the command group is exe- cuted if the given _v_a_r_i_a_b_l_e is defined in the environment. Otherwise, the command group is executed only if the value of the _v_a_r_i_a_b_l_e occur in the _v_a_l_u_e list. For example, if 80 Release 6.4.16 NN(1) you want _n_n to look for mail in whatever $MAIL is set to - if it is set - you can use the following code: on $MAIL set mail $(MAIL) end on slow The commands (init file syntax) in the group are executed only if the current terminal output speed is less than or equal to the baud rate set in the slow-speed variable. This can be used to optimize the user-interface for slow termi- nals by setting suitable variables: 9 on slow set confirm-entry set slow-mode set delay-redraw unset visible-bell set compress unset header-lines set stop 5 set window 10 end on fast Same as on slow except that the commands are only executed when the terminal is running at a speed above the slow-speed value. on term _t_e_r_m-_t_y_p_e... The commands are executed if one of the _t_e_r_m-_t_y_p_e names is identical to value of the TERM environment variable. on host _h_o_s_t-_n_a_m_e... The commands are executed if the local host's name occur in the _h_o_s_t-_n_a_m_e list. on program _p_r_o_g_r_a_m-_n_a_m_e... The commands are executed if the current program (_n_n, _n_n_c_h_e_c_k, etc) in the _p_r_o_g_r_a_m-_n_a_m_e list. The following on command groups are really macros which may be executed during _n_n's normal processing, and as such they cannot have an else part. on entry [ _g_r_o_u_p _l_i_s_t ] These commands (macro format!) are executed every time _n_n enters a news group. If a group list is not specified, the commands are associated with all groups which don't have its own entry macro specified in the group sequence. Otherwise, the entry macro will be associated with the groups in the list. The group list is specified using the meta-notations described in the presentation sequence section. 9 _A_l_l `:' commands at the beginning of the command group are 81 NN(1) Release 6.4.16 executed _b_e_f_o_r_e _n_n collects the articles in the group, so it is possible to set or unset variables like cross-post and auto-read-mode before any articles are collected and the menu is (not) shown. The non-`:' commands, and `:' commands that follows a com- mand of another type will be executed immediately _a_f_t_e_r the first menu page is presented. The execution of a `:' com- mand can be postponed by using a double `::' as the command prefix. 9 on entry comp.sources* alt.sources :set cross-post on # set before collection :local auto-read-mode on # set before showing menu ::unset cross-post # set after collection end on start-up These `:' commands (macro format!) are executed on start-up just before _n_n enters the first news group. However, post- poned commands (i.e. non-`:' commands) will not be executed until the first group is shown (it works like an entry macro). GROUP PRESENTATION SEQUENCE News groups are normally presented in the sequence defined in the system-wide init file in _n_n's library directory. You can personalize the presentation sequence by specifying an alternative sequence in the private _i_n_i_t file. The sequence in the private init file is used _b_e_f_o_r_e the global presentation sequence, and need only describe the deviations from the default presentation sequence. The presentation sequence must start with the word sequence followed by a list of the news group names in the order you want them to be presented. The group names must be separated by white space. The sequence list must be the _l_a_s_t part of the init file (the parsing of commands from the init file stops when the word sequence is encountered). You may use a full group name like "comp.unix.questions", or just the name of a main group or subgroup, e.g. "comp" or "comp.unix". However, if "comp" precedes "comp.unix.questions" in the list, this subgroup will be placed in the normal alphabetic sequence during the collection of all the "comp" groups. Groups which are not explicitly mentioned in any of the sequence files will be placed after the mentioned groups, unless `!!' is used and it has not been disabled (as described below). Each group name may be followed by a file or folder name (must start with either of `/' `~' or `+') which will specify the default save file for that group (and its subgroups). A single `+' following the group name is an abbreviation for the last save 9 82 Release 6.4.16 NN(1) file name used. For example, the following two sequences are equivalent: group1 +file group2 +file group3 +file group1 +file group2 + group3 + When an article is saved, the default save name will be used as the initial contents of the file name prompt for further editing. It therefore does not need to be be a complete file name (unless you use the quick save mode). Each group name may also be associated with a so-called entry action. This is basically an (unnamed) macro which is invoked on entry to the group (following the same rules as the `on entry' command group related to :set and :unset commands). The entry action begins with a left parenthesis `(' and ends with a right parenthesis `)' on an otherwise empty line: 9 comp.sources. +src/$L/ ( :set cross-post ) 9 The last entry action can be repeated by specifying an empty set of parenthesis, e.g. 9 comp.unix. +unix () 9 The entry action of a preceding group in the sequence can be associated with the current group(s) by specifying the name of the group in the parentheses instead of the commands, e.g. 9 comp.unix. +unix (comp.sources.unix) 9 A macro can also be associated with the entry action by specify- ing its number in the same way as the group name above, e.g. 9 rec.music. +music (30) 9 Notice that it is the _c_u_r_r_e_n_t definition of the macro which is associated with the group, so if the macro is later redefined with the `:define' command, it will not have any effect on the entry action. Group names can be specified using the following notations: group.name Append the group (if it exists) to the presentation sequence list. If also-subgroups is set (default), all subscribed subgroups of the group will be included as well (if there are any). Examples: "comp", "comp.unix", "comp.unix.questions". If the group does not exits (e.g. "comp"), the subgroups will be included even when also- subgroups is not set, i.e. "comp" is equivalent to "comp.". group.name. Append the subgroups of the specified group to the presenta- tion sequence. The group itself (if it exists) is not included. Examples: "comp.", "comp.unix.". 83 NN(1) Release 6.4.16 Append the groups whose name ends with the specified name to the sequence. Example: ".test". group.name* Append the group and its subgroups to the presentation sequence list (even when also-subgroups is not set). Exam- ple: "comp.unix*". The following meta notation can be used in a sequence file. The group.name can be specified using any of the forms described above: ! groups Completely ignore the group or groups specified unless they are already in the presentation sequence (i.e. has been explicitly mentioned earlier in the sequence). !:_c_o_d_e groups Ignore a selection of groups based on the given _c_o_d_e letter (see below), unless they are already included in the sequence. Notice that these forms _o_n_l_y excludes groups from the presentation sequence, i.e. they _d_o _n_o_t include the remaining groups at this point; that must be done explicitly elsewhere. !:U groups Ignore unsubscribed groups, i.e. if they are neither new, nor present and subscribed in .newsrc. This is useful to ignore a whole hierarchy except for a few groups which are explicitly mentioned in .newsrc and still see new groups as they are created. !:X groups Ignore unsubscribed _a_n_d new groups, i.e. if they are not currently present and subscribed in .newsrc. This is useful to ignore a whole hierarchy except for a few groups which are explicitly mentioned in .newsrc. New groups in the hierarchy are ignored unless `NEW' occurs earlier in the sequence. !:O groups Ignore old groups, i.e. _u_n_l_e_s_s they are new. This is useful to ignore a whole hierarchy but still see new groups which are created in the hierarchy (it might become interesting some day). Individual groups can still be included in the sequence if they are specified before the `!:O' entry. !:N groups Ignore new groups in the hierarchy. !! Stop building the presentation sequence. This eliminates all groups that are not already in the presentation sequence. 84 Release 6.4.16 NN(1) NEW This is a pseudo group name which matches all _n_e_w groups; you could place this symbol early in your presentation sequence to see new groups `out of sequence' (to attract your attention to them). RC This is a pseudo group name which matches all groups occur- ring in the .newsrc file. It will cause the groups in .newsrc to be appended to the presentation sequence in the sequence in which they are listed in .newsrc. RC:_n_u_m_b_e_r Similar to the RC entry, but limited to the first _n_u_m_b_e_r lines of the .newsrc file. Example: RC:10 (use 10 lines of .newsrc). RC:_s_t_r_i_n_g Similar to the RC entry, but limited to the lines up to (and including) the first line (i.e. group) starting with the given _s_t_r_i_n_g. For example: RC:alt.sources < group.name Place the group (and its subgroups) at the beginning of the presentation sequence. Notice that each `<' entry will place the group(s) at the beginning of the current sequence, i.e. < A < B < C will generate the sequence C B A. > group.name Place the group (and its subgroups) after all other groups that are and will be entered into the presentation sequence. @ Disable the `!!' command. This can be included in the per- sonal presentation sequence if the global sequence file con- tains a !! entry (see example 1 below). % .... % Starts and ends a region of the sequence where it is possi- ble to include groups which has been eliminated earlier. This may be useful to alter the sequence of some groups, e.g. to place comp.sources.bugs after all other source groups, the following sequence can be used: 9 ! comp.sources.bugs comp.sources* % comp.sources.bugs % Example 1: In a company where ordinary users only should read the local news groups, and ignore the rest (including new news groups which are otherwise always subscribed to initially), can use the following global presentation sequence: 9 general follow ! local.test local !! 9 The "expert" users in the company must put the @ command some- where in their private sequence to avoid losing news groups which 9 85 NN(1) Release 6.4.16 they have not explicitly mentioned in their init file. Example 2: This is the global sequence for systems with heavy news addicts who setup their own sequences anyway. 9 # all must read the general news first < general 9 # test is test, and junk is junk, # so it is placed at the very end > test > .test > junk 9 # this is the standard sequence which everybody may # change to their own liking local # our local groups dk # the Danish groups eunet.general # to present it before eunet.followup eunet # the other European groups comp # the serious groups news # news on news sci # other serious groups rec # not really that important (don't quote me) misc # well, it must be somewhere 9 # the groups that are not listed above goes here 9 Notice the use of comments in the sequence where they are allowed at the end of non-empty lines as well. Example 3: My own presentation sequence (in the init file) simply lists my favourite groups and the corresponding default save files: 9 sequence !:U alt* # ignore unsubscribed alt groups news.software.nn +nn comp.sys.ti* +ti/$L NEW # show new groups here news* rec.music.synth +synth/ comp.emacs*,gnu.emacs +emacs/misc comp.risks +risks eunet.sources +src/unix/ comp.sources* +src/$L/ 9 The presentation sequence is not used when _n_n is called with one or more news group names on the command line; it is thus possible to read ignored groups (on explicit request) wihtout changing the init file. (Of course, you can also use the G command to read ignored groups). MERGING NEWS GROUPS The third example above contains the following line: 9 comp.emacs*,gnu.emacs +emacs/misc 9 This is the syntax used to _m_e_r_g_e groups. When two or more groups 9 86 Release 6.4.16 NN(1) are merged, all new articles in these groups are presented together as if they were one group. To merge groups, their names must be listed together in the sequence, and only separated by a single comma. To merge the groups resulting from a single group pattern (e.g. comp.emacs*), the group pattern must be followed by a comma and a blank (e.g. comp.emacs*, ...). Merged groups are presented as the first group in the "list", and the word "MERGED" will be shown after the group name. The Y {overview} command will still show merged groups as individual groups, but they will be annotated with the symbol `&' on the first of the groups, and a `+' on the rest of the groups. In the current version, the concept of the _c_u_r_r_e_n_t _g_r_o_u_p in con- nection with merged groups is a bit fuzzy. This should only be noticeable with the G command, which will take the most recently used group among the merged groups as the current group. So things like G = ... may not always work as expected. ENVIRONMENT The following environment variables are used by _n_n: EDITOR. The editor invoked when editing replies, follow-ups, and composing mail. _n_n knows about the following editors: _v_i, _d_e_d, _G_N_U _e_m_a_c_s, and _m_i_c_r_o-_e_m_a_c_s, and will try to position the cursor on the first line following the header, i.e. after the blank line which must not be deleted! If an article has been included, the cursor is placed on the first line of the included text (to allow you to delete sections easily). LOGNAME. This is taken as the login name of the current user. It is used by _n_n to return failed mail. If it is not defined, _n_n will use the value of USER, or if that is not defined either, _n_n will use the call `who am i' to get this information. If all attempts fail, the failed mail is dropped in the bit bucket. PAGER. This is used as the initial value of the pager variable. SHELL. This is the shell which is spawned if the system cannot suspend _n_n, and it will be used to execute the shell escapes. TERM. The terminal type. FILES ~/.newsrc The record of read articles. ~/.nn/select The record of selected and seen articles. ~/.nn/init Personal configuration and presentation sequence. ~/.nn/kill The automatic kills and selections. ~/.nn/KILL.COMP The compiled kill file. ~/.nn/LAST The time stamp of the last news group we have seen. ~/.nn/NEXTG Active group last time _n_n was quit. ~/.nn/.param Parameter file for the aux script 87 NN(1) Release 6.4.16 $lib/setup System-wide setup - always read first. $lib/init System-wide setup and presentation sequence. $lib/aux The response edit and send script. $lib/routes Mapping rules for mail addresses (on non-domain systems). $db/* The news data base. /etc/termcap Terminal data base [BSD]. /usr/lib/terminfo/*Terminal data base [SysV]. /usr/lib/nntp-serverName of remote nntp server. 9 The name $lib and $db are the directories used for the auxiliary files and the news data base respectively. Their name and loca- tion is defined at compile time. Common choices are /usr/local/lib/nn or /usr/lib/news/nn for $lib and /usr/spool/nn or /usr/spool/news/.nn for $db. SEE ALSO Other netnews documentation. nncheck(1), nngoback(1), nngrab(1), nngrep(1), nnpost(1), nntidy(1) nnadmin(1M), nnusage(1M), nnmaster(8), nnspew(8) AUTHOR Kim F. Storm, Texas Instruments A/S, Denmark E-mail: storm@texas.dk (but see the addresses below) The NNTP support was designed and implemented by Ren'e Seindal, Institute of Datalogy, University of Copenhagen, Denmark. Bugs and fixes, suggestions, ideas, critique, etc. can be sent to the following address: nn-bugs@dkuug.dk The news.software.nn group is used for discussion on all subjects related to the nn news reader. This includes, but is not limited to, questions, answers, ideas, hints, information from the development group, patches, etc. 9 88 99