Re: syncing groups/topics arrangement between machines?

[Eric Abrahamsen]

Emanuel Berg <embe8573@student.uu.se> writes:

> Eric Abrahamsen <eric@ericabrahamsen.net> writes:
>
>> It's kept in the variable `gnus-topic-alist', which
>> is saved to the file pointed to by
>> `gnus-startup-file', which on this machine points to
>> ~/.emacs.d/.newsrc. That's where gnus stores most of
>> its state, including subscribed groups and
>> message marks.
>>
>> I wouldn't recommend copying this file between
>> machines -- I tried that before, and it didn't work
>> out well.
>
> How so?
>
> If Gnus stores its state there and the state is
> identical the result should be identical. If it isn't,
> something is wrong.

That was my assumption as well! I can't remember what the exact issue
was, now, but I suspect it was something to do with imap. Anyway, the
marks were very definitely not right.

> I'll try it right now and tell you how it went...
>
>> There is a possibility that in the future, Gnus'
>> various state objects will be separated out a little
>> more cleanly. It would be nice to at least have
>> a separation between "settings than can be synced or
>> kept in version control" (which would include group
>> subscriptions and topic arrangements), and "settings
>> that only Gnus should mess with", which I guess
>> would mostly be marks.
>
> Yeah, but isn't that separation exactly what is with
> .gnus and .newsrc[.eld]?

Well, the OP's question indicates otherwise :) Right now .newsrc
contains quite a bit of information that could be considered user-level
customizations: which groups are subscribed, group parameters, the topic
layout, and the highly-confusing `gnus-server-alist'. Values that only
change when the user explicitly changes them. These things are editable
through the Gnus interface, but I think users would be a lot happier if
they were also stored separately, in a format that could be safely
shared between computers, and maybe even editable by hand.

The marks backend would store all the internal stuff that is vital for
Gnus' operation; stuff that isn't editable by hand; that goes through a
lot of churn just in the course of daily operation. Marks, and things
like uidvalidity values.

Anyway, just thinking out loud...