* Problem with gnus on emacs-26 on debian 10: "Mail source (file) error (Searching for Program)"
@ 2019-08-09 17:18 Steinar Bang
2019-08-09 18:00 ` Adam Sjøgren
2019-08-09 19:31 ` Colin Baxter
0 siblings, 2 replies; 9+ messages in thread
From: Steinar Bang @ 2019-08-09 17:18 UTC (permalink / raw)
To: ding
Platform: Debian 10.0 "buster", amd64
GNU Emacs 26.1 (build 2, x86_64-pc-linux-gnu, GTK+ Version 3.24.4) of 2019-02-03, modified by Debian
Gnus v5.13
When starting gnus and when fetching new mail and news with 'g', I get
the following error message in the minibuffer:
Mail source (file) error (Searching for Program)
According to the docs[1]:
You tell Gnus how to fetch mail by setting mail-sources (see Fetching Mail) to a mail source specifier.
Doing 'C-h v mail-sources RET':
mail-sources is a variable defined in ‘mail-source.el’.
Its value is ((file))
Also according to [1], about "file":
:path
The file name. Defaults to the value of the MAIL environment variable or the value of rmail-spool-directory (usually something like /usr/mail/spool/user-name).
Doing 'C-h v rmail-spool-directory RET
rmail-spool-directory is a variable defined in ‘rmail.el’.
Its value is "/var/mail/"
which points to the directory where my inbox resides:
sb@lorenzo:~$ ls -al /var/mail/sb
-rw-rw---- 1 sb mail 28529 Aug 4 10:39 /var/mail/sb
sb@lorenzo:~$
The MAIL environment variable also points to my inbox:
sb@lorenzo:~$ env | grep MAIL
MAIL=/var/mail/sb
sb@lorenzo:~$
Does anybody know what the problem might be?
Thanks!
- Steinar
References:
[1] <https://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/manual/html_node/gnus/Mail-Source-Specifiers.html>
^ permalink raw reply [flat|nested] 9+ messages in thread
* Re: Problem with gnus on emacs-26 on debian 10: "Mail source (file) error (Searching for Program)"
2019-08-09 17:18 Problem with gnus on emacs-26 on debian 10: "Mail source (file) error (Searching for Program)" Steinar Bang
@ 2019-08-09 18:00 ` Adam Sjøgren
2019-08-09 19:31 ` Colin Baxter
1 sibling, 0 replies; 9+ messages in thread
From: Adam Sjøgren @ 2019-08-09 18:00 UTC (permalink / raw)
To: ding
Steinar writes:
> When starting gnus and when fetching new mail and news with 'g', I get
> the following error message in the minibuffer:
> Mail source (file) error (Searching for Program)
Is it trying to shell out to movemail(1) or some such?
,----[ C-h v mail-source-movemail-program RET ]
| mail-source-movemail-program is a variable defined in ‘mail-source.el’.
| Its value is "movemail"
|
| This variable may be risky if used as a file-local variable.
| Probably introduced at or before Emacs version 26.2.
|
| Documentation:
| If non-nil, name of program for fetching new mail.
|
| You can customize this variable.
|
| This variable was introduced, or its default value was changed, in
| version 26.2 of Emacs.
`----
(Just a guess.)
Looking at mail-source-fetcher-alist and mail-source-fetch-file, I think
it is.
On Debian movemail(1) lives in the mailutils package:
· https://packages.debian.org/buster/mailutils
Best regards,
Adam
--
"Don't just do something, stand there!" Adam Sjøgren
asjo@koldfront.dk
^ permalink raw reply [flat|nested] 9+ messages in thread
* Re: Problem with gnus on emacs-26 on debian 10: "Mail source (file) error (Searching for Program)"
2019-08-09 17:18 Problem with gnus on emacs-26 on debian 10: "Mail source (file) error (Searching for Program)" Steinar Bang
2019-08-09 18:00 ` Adam Sjøgren
@ 2019-08-09 19:31 ` Colin Baxter
2019-08-18 10:38 ` Steinar Bang
1 sibling, 1 reply; 9+ messages in thread
From: Colin Baxter @ 2019-08-09 19:31 UTC (permalink / raw)
To: ding
>>>>> Steinar Bang <sb@dod.no> writes:
> Platform: Debian 10.0 "buster", amd64 GNU Emacs 26.1 (build 2,
> x86_64-pc-linux-gnu, GTK+ Version 3.24.4) of 2019-02-03, modified
> by Debian Gnus v5.13
> When starting gnus and when fetching new mail and news with 'g', I
> get the following error message in the minibuffer: Mail source
> (file) error (Searching for Program)
> According to the docs[1]: You tell Gnus how to fetch mail by
> setting mail-sources (see Fetching Mail) to a mail source
> specifier.
> Doing 'C-h v mail-sources RET': mail-sources is a variable defined
> in ‘mail-source.el’. Its value is ((file))
> Also according to [1], about "file": :path The file name. Defaults
> to the value of the MAIL environment variable or the value of
> rmail-spool-directory (usually something like
> /usr/mail/spool/user-name).
> Doing 'C-h v rmail-spool-directory RET rmail-spool-directory is a
> variable defined in ‘rmail.el’. Its value is "/var/mail/"
> which points to the directory where my inbox resides:
> sb@lorenzo:~$ ls -al /var/mail/sb -rw-rw---- 1 sb mail 28529 Aug 4
> 10:39 /var/mail/sb sb@lorenzo:~$
> The MAIL environment variable also points to my inbox:
> sb@lorenzo:~$ env | grep MAIL MAIL=/var/mail/sb sb@lorenzo:~$
> Does anybody know what the problem might be?
> Thanks!
> - Steinar
> References: [1]
> <https://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/manual/html_node/gnus/Mail-Source-Specifiers.html>
Have you this
(setq mail-source-movemail-program "/path/to/movemail")
in your ~/gnus.el or ~/.emacs?
--
Colin Baxter
www.Colin-Baxter.com
^ permalink raw reply [flat|nested] 9+ messages in thread
* Re: Problem with gnus on emacs-26 on debian 10: "Mail source (file) error (Searching for Program)"
2019-08-09 19:31 ` Colin Baxter
@ 2019-08-18 10:38 ` Steinar Bang
2019-08-18 10:45 ` Steinar Bang
0 siblings, 1 reply; 9+ messages in thread
From: Steinar Bang @ 2019-08-18 10:38 UTC (permalink / raw)
To: ding
>>>>> Colin Baxter <m43cap@yandex.com>:
> Have you this
> (setq mail-source-movemail-program "/path/to/movemail")
> in your ~/gnus.el or ~/.emacs?
Unfortunately not.
'C-h v mail-source-movemail-program RET' says:
mail-source-movemail-program is a variable defined in ‘mail-source.el’.
Its value is nil
This variable may be risky if used as a file-local variable.
However, I can try setting it and see what happens.
I set the variable to "movemail" and then Gnus startet without an error
message.
Thanks! (and thanks to Adam as well)
^ permalink raw reply [flat|nested] 9+ messages in thread
* Re: Problem with gnus on emacs-26 on debian 10: "Mail source (file) error (Searching for Program)"
2019-08-18 10:38 ` Steinar Bang
@ 2019-08-18 10:45 ` Steinar Bang
2019-08-18 11:06 ` Steinar Bang
2019-08-18 11:20 ` Colin Baxter
0 siblings, 2 replies; 9+ messages in thread
From: Steinar Bang @ 2019-08-18 10:45 UTC (permalink / raw)
To: ding
>>>>> Steinar Bang <sb@dod.no>:
> However, I can try setting it and see what happens.
> I set the variable to "movemail" and then Gnus startet without an error
> message.
Hm... looking at the .emacs diff, two variables are set ("Apply and
save" saved all variables in the customize buffer) , and I don't know
which one had the desired effect:
diff --git a/.emacs b/.emacs
index b1eb917abf..19de76a9d4 100644
--- a/.emacs
+++ b/.emacs
@@ -731,7 +731,7 @@ to be something different.")
'(desktop-files-not-to-save
"\\(^/[^/:]*:\\|(ftp)$\\|^/tmp\\|.+\\.jar\\|.+\\.log\\|.+/target\\)")
'(gnus-blocked-images ".")
- '(gnus-cloud-method "nnimap:privat" t)
+ '(gnus-cloud-method "nnimap:privat")
'(gnus-cloud-storage-method (quote base64-gzip))
'(gnus-picon-style (quote right))
'(gnus-treat-fill-long-lines nil)
@@ -741,6 +741,7 @@ to be something different.")
("SCCS" "RCS" "CVS" "MCVS" ".src" ".svn" ".git" ".hg" ".bzr" "_MTN" "_darcs" "{arch}" "node_modules" "target")))
'(jdee-server-dir
"/home/sb/.m2/repository/com/github/jdee-emacs/jdee-server/1.1-SNAPSHOT")
+ '(mail-source-movemail-program "movemail")
'(message-forward-as-mime t)
'(message-user-fqdn "dod.no")
'(nxml-child-indent 1)
@@ -765,6 +766,7 @@ to be something different.")
'(package-selected-packages
(quote
(flycheck json-mode rjsx-mode git-commit async bbdb dash ghub let-alist magit magit-popup org sparql-mode with-editor csv-mode feature-mode crappy-jsp-mode rnc-mode editorconfig yaml-mode ttl-mode psvn psgml markdown-mode groovy-mode csharp-mode)))
+ '(rmail-movemail-program "/usr/bin/movemail")
'(select-enable-clipboard t)
'(split-width-threshold nil)
'(user-mail-address "sb@dod.no"))
(the gnus-cloud-method change was not something I did intentionally and
happened before I started messing with movemail. I have no idea what
this change does)
^ permalink raw reply [flat|nested] 9+ messages in thread
* Re: Problem with gnus on emacs-26 on debian 10: "Mail source (file) error (Searching for Program)"
2019-08-18 10:45 ` Steinar Bang
@ 2019-08-18 11:06 ` Steinar Bang
2019-08-18 11:20 ` Colin Baxter
1 sibling, 0 replies; 9+ messages in thread
From: Steinar Bang @ 2019-08-18 11:06 UTC (permalink / raw)
To: ding
I tried again from scratch, various permutation.
And gnus-cloud-method is modified when I save the customization of
mail-source-movemail-program to "movemail". I don't know how and why
gnus-cloud-method was modified.
However, I was able to eliminate the customization of
rmail-movemail-program whithout any ill effects (I haven't used rmail
for three decades anyway... I quickly moved om to VM because it
supported the native unix mailbox format, and then moved on to various
mh-based MUAs in the 1990ies before ending up with gnus where I stayed).
So now the only modifications are:
- '(gnus-cloud-method "nnimap:privat" t)
+ '(gnus-cloud-method "nnimap:privat")
and
+ '(mail-source-movemail-program "movemail")
and now it works.
Thanks again!
^ permalink raw reply [flat|nested] 9+ messages in thread
* Re: Problem with gnus on emacs-26 on debian 10: "Mail source (file) error (Searching for Program)"
2019-08-18 10:45 ` Steinar Bang
2019-08-18 11:06 ` Steinar Bang
@ 2019-08-18 11:20 ` Colin Baxter
2019-08-18 14:08 ` Steinar Bang
1 sibling, 1 reply; 9+ messages in thread
From: Colin Baxter @ 2019-08-18 11:20 UTC (permalink / raw)
To: ding
>>>>> Steinar Bang <sb@dod.no> writes:
>>>>> Steinar Bang <sb@dod.no>:
>> However, I can try setting it and see what happens.
>> I set the variable to "movemail" and then Gnus startet without an
>> error message.
> Hm... looking at the .emacs diff, two variables are set ("Apply
> and save" saved all variables in the customize buffer) , and I
> don't know which one had the desired effect:
> diff --git a/.emacs b/.emacs index b1eb917abf..19de76a9d4 100644
> --- a/.emacs +++ b/.emacs @@ -731,7 +731,7 @@ to be something
> different.") '(desktop-files-not-to-save
> "\\(^/[^/:]*:\\|(ftp)$\\|^/tmp\\|.+\\.jar\\|.+\\.log\\|.+/target\\)")
> '(gnus-blocked-images ".") - '(gnus-cloud-method "nnimap:privat"
> t) + '(gnus-cloud-method "nnimap:privat")
> '(gnus-cloud-storage-method (quote base64-gzip))
> '(gnus-picon-style (quote right)) '(gnus-treat-fill-long-lines
> nil) @@ -741,6 +741,7 @@ to be something different.") ("SCCS"
> "RCS" "CVS" "MCVS" ".src" ".svn" ".git" ".hg" ".bzr" "_MTN"
> "_darcs" "{arch}" "node_modules" "target"))) '(jdee-server-dir
> "/home/sb/.m2/repository/com/github/jdee-emacs/jdee-server/1.1-SNAPSHOT")
> + '(mail-source-movemail-program "movemail")
> '(message-forward-as-mime t) '(message-user-fqdn "dod.no")
> '(nxml-child-indent 1) @@ -765,6 +766,7 @@ to be something
> different.") '(package-selected-packages (quote (flycheck
> json-mode rjsx-mode git-commit async bbdb dash ghub let-alist
> magit magit-popup org sparql-mode with-editor csv-mode
> feature-mode crappy-jsp-mode rnc-mode editorconfig yaml-mode
> ttl-mode psvn psgml markdown-mode groovy-mode csharp-mode))) +
> '(rmail-movemail-program "/usr/bin/movemail")
> '(select-enable-clipboard t) '(split-width-threshold nil)
> '(user-mail-address "sb@dod.no"))
> (the gnus-cloud-method change was not something I did
> intentionally and happened before I started messing with movemail.
> I have no idea what this change does)
As I understand things (WARNING: I understand very little.) the current
emacs (26.2) configures "--with-mailutils" as a default
setting. Therefore the movemail program is the one from gnus and
located (usually) at /usr/bin/movemail. If you build emacs
"--without-mailutils" then the movemail program used is the one in the
emacs-exec directory (../local/lib/emacs/...) To confuse things further,
I believe in past these configure settings were reversed.
I have configured my emacs explicitly as './configure --with-mailutils'.
I therefore use /usr/bin/movemail as my movemail program and set
explicitly as (setq mail-source-movemail-program "/usr/bin/movemail")
Best wishes,
^ permalink raw reply [flat|nested] 9+ messages in thread
* Re: Problem with gnus on emacs-26 on debian 10: "Mail source (file) error (Searching for Program)"
2019-08-18 11:20 ` Colin Baxter
@ 2019-08-18 14:08 ` Steinar Bang
2019-08-19 10:21 ` Felix Natter
0 siblings, 1 reply; 9+ messages in thread
From: Steinar Bang @ 2019-08-18 14:08 UTC (permalink / raw)
To: ding
>>>>> Colin Baxter <m43cap@yandex.com>:
> As I understand things (WARNING: I understand very little.) the current
> emacs (26.2) configures "--with-mailutils" as a default
> setting. Therefore the movemail program is the one from gnus and
> located (usually) at /usr/bin/movemail. If you build emacs
> "--without-mailutils" then the movemail program used is the one in the
> emacs-exec directory (../local/lib/emacs/...) To confuse things further,
> I believe in past these configure settings were reversed.
> I have configured my emacs explicitly as './configure --with-mailutils'.
> I therefore use /usr/bin/movemail as my movemail program and set
> explicitly as (setq mail-source-movemail-program "/usr/bin/movemail")
Thanks! I'm using the emacs built by debian. I have no idea what build
options and/or patches they have used. :-)
^ permalink raw reply [flat|nested] 9+ messages in thread
* Re: Problem with gnus on emacs-26 on debian 10: "Mail source (file) error (Searching for Program)"
2019-08-18 14:08 ` Steinar Bang
@ 2019-08-19 10:21 ` Felix Natter
0 siblings, 0 replies; 9+ messages in thread
From: Felix Natter @ 2019-08-19 10:21 UTC (permalink / raw)
To: ding
hi Steinar,
Steinar Bang <sb@dod.no> writes:
>>>>>> Colin Baxter <m43cap@yandex.com>:
>
>> As I understand things (WARNING: I understand very little.) the current
>> emacs (26.2) configures "--with-mailutils" as a default
>> setting. Therefore the movemail program is the one from gnus and
>> located (usually) at /usr/bin/movemail. If you build emacs
>> "--without-mailutils" then the movemail program used is the one in the
>> emacs-exec directory (../local/lib/emacs/...) To confuse things further,
>> I believe in past these configure settings were reversed.
>
>> I have configured my emacs explicitly as './configure --with-mailutils'.
>> I therefore use /usr/bin/movemail as my movemail program and set
>> explicitly as (setq mail-source-movemail-program "/usr/bin/movemail")
>
> Thanks! I'm using the emacs built by debian. I have no idea what build
> options and/or patches they have used. :-)
Debian 10 has emacs-1:26.1+1-3.2. You can fetch the (packaging) source
with "apt-get source emacs":
$ LANG=C apt-get source emacs
Reading package lists... Done
NOTICE: 'emacs' packaging is maintained in the 'Git' version control system at:
https://salsa.debian.org/rlb/deb-emacs.git
Please use:
git clone https://salsa.debian.org/rlb/deb-emacs.git
to retrieve the latest (possibly unreleased) updates to the package.
Skipping already downloaded file 'emacs_26.1+1-3.2.dsc'
Need to get 24.3 MB of source archives.
Get:1 http://ftp.au.debian.org/debian buster/main emacs 1:26.1+1-3.2 (tar) [24.3 MB]
Get:2 http://ftp.au.debian.org/debian buster/main emacs 1:26.1+1-3.2 (diff) [56.8 kB]
Fetched 24.3 MB in 14s (1795 kB/s)
dpkg-source: info: extracting emacs in emacs-26.1+1
dpkg-source: info: unpacking emacs_26.1+1.orig.tar.xz
dpkg-source: info: unpacking emacs_26.1+1-3.2.debian.tar.xz
dpkg-source: info: using patch list from debian/patches/series
dpkg-source: info: applying 0001-Prefer-usr-share-info-emacs.patch
dpkg-source: info: applying 0002-Run-debian-startup-and-set-debian-emacs-flavor.patch
dpkg-source: info: applying 0003-Remove-files-that-appear-to-be-incompatible-with-the.patch
dpkg-source: info: applying 0004-Adjust-documentation-references-for-Debian.patch
dpkg-source: info: applying 0005-Modify-the-output-of-version-to-indicate-Debian-modi.patch
dpkg-source: info: applying 0006-Don-t-try-to-build-src-macuvs.h-via-IVD_Sequences.tx.patch
dpkg-source: info: applying 0007-Kill-gpg-agent-in-package-test.el-to-avoid-a-race.patch
dpkg-source: info: applying 0008-Don-t-downcase-real-xref-in-elisp-mode-tests.patch
dpkg-source: info: applying 0009-An-epg-test-failure-with-recent-GnuPG-versions-has-b.patch
dpkg-source: info: applying 0010-Mark-vc-bzr-test-fauilt-bzr-autoloads-as-unstable-fo.patch
dpkg-source: info: applying 0011-tramp-test42-remote-load-path-regexp-quote-directory.patch
dpkg-source: info: applying 0012-ibuffer-filter-inclusion-3-regexp-quote-directory.patch
dpkg-source: info: applying 0013-Mark-echo-server-with-dns-test-as-unstable-for-now.patch
dpkg-source: info: applying 0014-Fix-an-eshell-ls-dired-test-for-non-recent-files.patch
As you can see, quite a few patches are applied (they can be seen in
emacs-26.1+1/debian/patches). Also, from emacs-26.1+1/debian/rules:
# common configure flags
confflags += --prefix=/usr
confflags += --sharedstatedir=/var/lib
confflags += --libexecdir=/usr/lib
confflags += --localstatedir=/var/lib
confflags += --infodir=/usr/share/info
confflags += --mandir=/usr/share/man
confflags += --enable-libsystemd
confflags += --with-pop=yes
confflags += --enable-locallisppath=$(local_lpath)
confflags += --with-sound=alsa
confflags += --without-gconf
confflags += --with-mailutils
# x configure flags
confflags_gtk := $(confflags)
confflags_gtk += --with-x=yes
confflags_gtk += --with-x-toolkit=gtk3
# For those who prefer the old-style non-toolkit scrollbars, just
# change the assignment below to --without-toolkit-scroll-bars. The
# resulting emacs-gtk package will have the old scrollbars.
confflags_gtk += --with-toolkit-scroll-bars
# nox configure flags
confflags_nox := $(confflags)
confflags_nox += --with-x=no
confflags_nox += --without-gsettings
# lucid configure flags
confflags_lucid := $(confflags)
confflags_lucid += --with-x=yes
confflags_lucid += --with-x-toolkit=lucid
confflags_lucid += --with-toolkit-scroll-bars
confflags_lucid += --without-gsettings
See --with-mailutils above.
HTH,
Felix
--
Felix Natter
^ permalink raw reply [flat|nested] 9+ messages in thread
end of thread, other threads:[~2019-08-19 10:21 UTC | newest]
Thread overview: 9+ messages (download: mbox.gz / follow: Atom feed)
-- links below jump to the message on this page --
2019-08-09 17:18 Problem with gnus on emacs-26 on debian 10: "Mail source (file) error (Searching for Program)" Steinar Bang
2019-08-09 18:00 ` Adam Sjøgren
2019-08-09 19:31 ` Colin Baxter
2019-08-18 10:38 ` Steinar Bang
2019-08-18 10:45 ` Steinar Bang
2019-08-18 11:06 ` Steinar Bang
2019-08-18 11:20 ` Colin Baxter
2019-08-18 14:08 ` Steinar Bang
2019-08-19 10:21 ` Felix Natter
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