Re: Learning gnus for email only

[harel barzilai]

Reiner Steib wrote:

> I'm not sure, but if the files are already in a maildir structure, you
> can leave mail-sources set to nil.  You only need to add an nnmaildir
> entry to `gnus-secondary-select-methods' (or `gnus-select-method').
>
> I'd suggest the following setup:
>
> (setq gnus-select-method '(nnnil ""))
> (setq mail-sources nil)
>
> (add-to-list
>  'gnus-secondary-select-methods
>  '(nnmaildir "test"
>            (directory "~/Maildir")
>            (create-directory "../foo")
>            (directory-files nnheader-directory-files-safe)
>            (get-new-mail nil)))

Thanks, but it's not clear to me what you're suggesting I create as
"foo"?

> I'm not sure about the correct server parameter (I don't use maildir).

Hmm, what does this have to do with servers? I thought we are just
trying to tell gnus *not* to look on any server but just to know which
local
files/directories to look for, to find email messages?

Yes, I'm using a test account "user_a" rather than my usual one,
so it has a separate mailbox so if something goes wrong with this
attempt to learn to  use gnus for email reading, I won't lose my
regular account's email..

> Please read (info "(gnus)Maildir") first (and backup your mail before
> experimenting).

Ok..I'm not very familiar with info but I'm managing... "(gnu)Maildir"
was not found but the "s"
or "search" feature in info, when applied to "maildir" seems to have
found the right item,
which is included below for the benefit of others who might find
themselves in a similar spot..as well as to get confirmation if this
looks right:

..under Getting Mail, then Mail Sources, then Mail Source
Specifications..then searching for Maildir" again within that page, one
finds info telling us that:

<begin quote>================

  Keywords:

    `:path'
          The path of the directory where the mails are stored.  The
          default is taken from the `MAILDIR' environment variable or
          `~/Maildir/'.

    `:subdirs'
          The subdirectories of the Maildir.  The default is `("new"
          "cur")'.

          You can also get mails from remote hosts (because maildirs
          don't suffer from locking problems).

     Two example maildir mail sources:

          (maildir :path "/home/user-name/Maildir/"
                   :subdirs ("cur" "new"))

          (maildir :path "/user@remotehost.org:~/Maildir/"
                   :subdirs ("new"))

<end quote>========================

So it looks like I'm to put

    (maildir :path "/home/user_a/Maildir/"
                   :subdirs ("cur" "new"))

in my .gnus.el ?

Slackat perhaps the above (plus Reiner's earlier lines for my .gnus.el)
are the
way to go instead of,

(setq nnmail-spool-file '(
   (file :path "/var/spool/mail/inconnu")
   (directory :path "/home/inconnu/Mail")
)

then? Well I hope this works. This is a humbling experience. Even you
experts don't find these to be trivial questions. But it doesn't look
like there are any other Maildir capable mail readers that
are automatically bundled with emacs, that are any more 'ready for
prime time' (for us
non-experts ;-) than gnus...so it looks like it's the learning curve
for gnus or else
try to install a package from scratch (or else look into
emacs-anti-spam-package for rmail..)
crossing fingers yet again.. I ran byte-compile of .gnus.el and got:

  ** assignment to free variable mail-sources
  ** `"cur"' is a malformed function
  ** The function `maildir' is not known to be defined.

My entire .gnus is

<begin quote>==========

(setq gnus-select-method '(nnnil ""))
(setq mail-sources nil)

(add-to-list
 'gnus-secondary-select-methods
 '(nnmaildir "test"
             (directory "~/Maildir")
             (create-directory "../foo")
             (directory-files nnheader-directory-files-safe)
             (get-new-mail nil)))

  (maildir :path "/home/user_a/Maildir/"
                   :subdirs ("cur" "new"))

<end quote>==========

From

  ** assignment to free variable mail-sources

it appears not to like

(setq mail-sources nil)

and from the second two lines it doesn't seem to like my putting

(maildir :path "/home/user_a/Maildir/"
                   :subdirs ("cur" "new"))


in my .gnus. Wait, based on an earlier example

 (setq mail-sources '((pop :server "frumple" :user "jrl")))


maybe I'm supposed to include  (lets call this item [[1]]

  (setq mail-sources '(maildir :path "/home/user_a/Maildir/"
                   :subdirs ("cur" "new")))

in my .gnus instead? but then that would be instead of the (setq
mail-sources nil)
you suggested Reiner? Well I [[1]]
instead of  (setq mail-sources nil)  and did another byte-compile and
I'm not
down to 1 error rather than three:

  ** assignment to free variable mail-sources

(I get the same error if I *keep* your (setq mail-sources nil) but
remove item [[1]]..but maybe I am still missing the part about "server"
you mentioned or else still need to replace "foo" by...?)

?? Harel

= = = = =

> [ Please don't top-post

I do not do this during the >95% of the time I reply to others. During
the <5% of the time
I need to add a short correction/clarification to my own note, it seems
like the right courtesy to those
who get newsgroups forwarded to (non gnus, simple) email, but it
doesn't seem worthwhile
to argue over the <5%...

> and please try to write more carefully in order to make your text more 
> readable. ]

 Sorry, it's ugly to my own eyes too but was not mychoosing..I have no
idea when or why groups.google's posting messes up carriage returns, do
you? This is why I like to stay
inside emacs for most of what I do online..usenet is one of the areas
where (for now) I'm
stuck with typing into text boxes in browsers..I could try
to compose reply in Emacs, after "C-x f  50" then "fill-region" to see
if that's
better.

with C-x f 50 lets see how google sends it out to usenet, better,
worse, or the same? Let's try:

I have no idea when or why groups.google's posting
messes  up carriage returns,  do you?  Sorry, it's
ugly to  my own eyes too  but was not  my doing. I
could try to compose  reply in Emacs, after "C-x f
50" then "fill-region" to see if that's better.

Of course if/when I master the basics of gnus for email I can try
learning  it for usenet instead of google.