Using agent with IMAP, accessing read IMAP mails offline

Using agent with IMAP, accessing read IMAP mails offline

[JJ]

I use Gnus on a Nokia N900 mobile phone. So what I'd like to do:

When I'm on a plane, be able to run Gnus unplugged, i.e. offline and
review IMAP messages that I've already read.

This used to work. But don't know since when or what changes to nnimap.el
or what have you, I can't do it.

When I'm not online now and try to start Gnus with an nnimap frontend set
as the gnus-select-method, I get:

Warning: Opening nnimap server on xxx.xxxx.xxx...failed: Unable to contact
xxx.xxxx.xxx:nil via ssl; Denied server nnimap+xxx.xxxx.xxx; Unable to
open server nnimap+xxx.xxxx.xxx due to: xxx.xxxx.xxx/imap Name or service
not known

Am I missing something. Do I need to have something set up in a special way?

How can I get it to work?
--
JJ

Re: Using agent with IMAP, accessing read IMAP mails offline

[Richard Riley]

"JJ" <ding_gnus.org@sumou.com> writes:

> I use Gnus on a Nokia N900 mobile phone. So what I'd like to do:
>
> When I'm on a plane, be able to run Gnus unplugged, i.e. offline and
> review IMAP messages that I've already read.
>
> This used to work. But don't know since when or what changes to nnimap.el
> or what have you, I can't do it.
>
> When I'm not online now and try to start Gnus with an nnimap frontend set
> as the gnus-select-method, I get:
>
> Warning: Opening nnimap server on xxx.xxxx.xxx...failed: Unable to contact
> xxx.xxxx.xxx:nil via ssl; Denied server nnimap+xxx.xxxx.xxx; Unable to
> open server nnimap+xxx.xxxx.xxx due to: xxx.xxxx.xxx/imap Name or service
> not known
>
> Am I missing something. Do I need to have something set up in a special way?
>
> How can I get it to work?
> --
> JJ

Just to piggy back on this, there is still the issue with agent
apparently not working in a setup like this:-


   (add-to-list 'gnus-secondary-select-methods
                '(nnimap "riley"
                         (nnir-search-engine imap)
                         (nnimap-address "imap.gmail.com")
                         ))
   (add-to-list 'gnus-secondary-select-methods
                '(nnimap "shamrockpub"
                         (nnir-search-engine imap)
                         (nnimap-address "imap.gmail.com")
                         ))
   
   (add-to-list 'gnus-secondary-select-methods
                '(nnimap "friends"
                         (nnir-search-engine imap)
                         (nnimap-address "imap.gmail.com")
                         ))

There are more details in the previous posts in case anyone has an idea
about what might be causing it.

Apologies if I missed any previous updates on this.

Re: Using agent with IMAP, accessing read IMAP mails offline

[Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen]

"JJ" <ding_gnus.org@sumou.com> writes:

> I understand this part, but that's why I think I'm missing something, as I
> can't even start Gnus when offline, i.e. it doesn't open the Group, and
> fails with:
>
> Warning: Opening nnimap server on xxx.xxxx.xxx...failed: Unable to contact
> xxx.xxxx.xxx:nil via ssl; Denied server nnimap+xxx.xxxx.xxx; Unable to
> open server nnimap+xxx.xxxx.xxx due to: xxx.xxxx.xxx/imap Name or service
> not known

I think this means that the server in question isn't covered by the
Agent.  Go to the server buffer and `J a' the server in question.

-- 
(domestic pets only, the antidote for overdose, milk.)
  bloggy blog http://lars.ingebrigtsen.no/

Re: Using agent with IMAP, accessing read IMAP mails offline

[Richard Riley]

"JJ" <ding_gnus.org@sumou.com> writes:

> Richard Riley <rileyrg <at> googlemail.com> wrote:
>
>> Theoretically you enable the imap group as an agent group. You then,
>> when "plugged" fetch all articles you have marked for download (in the
>> manual). it doesnt work for me as I us multiple gmail accounts and the
>
> I understand this part, but that's why I think I'm missing something, as I
> can't even start Gnus when offline, i.e. it doesn't open the Group, and
> fails with:
>
> Warning: Opening nnimap server on xxx.xxxx.xxx...failed: Unable to contact
> xxx.xxxx.xxx:nil via ssl; Denied server nnimap+xxx.xxxx.xxx; Unable to
> open server nnimap+xxx.xxxx.xxx due to: xxx.xxxx.xxx/imap Name or service
> not known
>
> As it tries to connect above and fails, but why doesn't it not try
> connection when offline?

You must remember there isnt (but sometimes is ...) an "offline" for
Gnus. According to the manual "plugged" refers to individual
servers. Some may be online, others not. Are you saying that pressing
"g" for example tries to connect your servers even though they are agent
groups and you are unplugged? 

rambling :

I'm pretty sure the relevance of my reply is limited but allow me to
describe my use of gnus with levels and agent. It might be of some
interest.

>
> So I don't get to the point of agent going haywire. This is with no
> settings as per gnus setup, just the gnus select method defined to an IMAP
> account.
>
> That's why I maybe need to set something up...
>
>> agent goes haywire. I posted some use cases as to how I thought it could
>> work better or more intuitively while away on hols recently and trying
>
> I must've missed your discussion of this. Could you point me to your
> discussion on http://news.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.gnus.general so I can
> review your setup and try to at least get it partially working... Or it
> should work perfectly as I don't use multiple gmail accounts, so for one
> it should work... Fingers crossed...

Just google in gmane I guess. I was undoubtedly rambling too as I tend
to do when trying to get my head around the finer points of Gnus ;) I
was learning agent in combination with group levels and I still dont
think it works as designed per se .. when groups activate is still a bit
of a mystery to me. i need to sit down and review my settings. But I
guess I got a bit frustrated... The articles are from the 18th March
until the 3rd April or so. 17 days in the Canaries... mmm.. seems like
yeas ago already.

but basically,

I start gnus plugged but with the default "activate" level set to 1. The
only groups I have at level 1 are LOCAL email repos (nnmail) so I can
instantly see root mail etc. I think all local and agentised groups
ought to be configurable for activation even if unplugged. I couldnt get
the right combo of settings to achieve this. "activation" in this case
meaning being visible showing me how many unread I have. Thinking about
this, now I do topic level "fetch" (described below) I could just make
all agentised groups level 1. I need to test that again.

I do that like this:

,----
| C-c m runs the command (lambda nil (interactive) (gnus-agent-toggle-plugged t)
| (gnus 1)), which is an interactive Lisp function.
`----


I do the plugged toggle call because Gnus remembers its plugged state
between invocations : if I quit gnus when its unplugged then calling
(gnus) again starts it unplugged. i think thats a bug tbh. I start it
plugged but with no activation of any "online" groups so that my level 1
groups actually activate and are visible.

My gmail is on level two. To get this I can C-u 2 g OR (and more likely)
I put my cursor on my imap email "topic" line and hit M-g. C-u 2 g would
fetch level 1 too.

I have nntp at level 5. I *could* do C-u 5 g but this would get levels 4
and below too. So instead I tend to M-g on my "news" topic line. Doing
C-u 5 g would fetch levels 5,4,3,2,1.

Now, lets look at agent:-

What I would do (if it worked with my imap setup) is go "plugged", enter
a group and fetch all headers. quit the group back to the summary buffer
and do a J s I think it is. I asked about a setting to automatically get
all the articles and not just the headers into the agent when entering a
plugged group in order to make the J s redundant form the summary
buffer. That done you could go back unplugged and read "offline".

But remember non agent groups are still "online".

Maybe that was of some interest if not directly helping!

>
> Thanks a lot.
> --
> JJ
>

-- 
☘ http://www.richardriley.net

Re: Using agent with IMAP, accessing read IMAP mails offline

[JJ]

Richard Riley <rileyrg <at> googlemail.com> wrote:

> Theoretically you enable the imap group as an agent group. You then,
> when "plugged" fetch all articles you have marked for download (in the
> manual). it doesnt work for me as I us multiple gmail accounts and the

I understand this part, but that's why I think I'm missing something, as I
can't even start Gnus when offline, i.e. it doesn't open the Group, and
fails with:

Warning: Opening nnimap server on xxx.xxxx.xxx...failed: Unable to contact
xxx.xxxx.xxx:nil via ssl; Denied server nnimap+xxx.xxxx.xxx; Unable to
open server nnimap+xxx.xxxx.xxx due to: xxx.xxxx.xxx/imap Name or service
not known

As it tries to connect above and fails, but why doesn't it not try
connection when offline?

So I don't get to the point of agent going haywire. This is with no
settings as per gnus setup, just the gnus select method defined to an IMAP
account.

That's why I maybe need to set something up...

> agent goes haywire. I posted some use cases as to how I thought it could
> work better or more intuitively while away on hols recently and trying

I must've missed your discussion of this. Could you point me to your
discussion on http://news.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.gnus.general so I can
review your setup and try to at least get it partially working... Or it
should work perfectly as I don't use multiple gmail accounts, so for one
it should work... Fingers crossed...

Thanks a lot.
--
JJ

Re: Using agent with IMAP, accessing read IMAP mails offline

[Richard Riley]

"JJ" <ding_gnus.org@sumou.com> writes:

> I've been trying to figure out how to read IMAP mail offline for the past
> two days, but can't figure it out.
>
> Nobody else is faced with this problem? Is this an uncommon way to access
> mail?
>
> I mean that's what the agent is for right? And/or cache... To be able to
> read the mails already read, when offline.
>
> Can someone advise me how to set it up in Gnus with IMAP? There's nowhere
> else I can turn to for help in this matter...
> --
> JJ
>

Theoretically you enable the imap group as an agent group. You then,
when "plugged" fetch all articles you have marked for download (in the
manual). it doesnt work for me as I us multiple gmail accounts and the
agent goes haywire. I posted some use cases as to how I thought it could
work better or more intuitively while away on hols recently and trying
to get the "unplugged" working better in order to reduce online time. I
too would be interested to hear of any one else using it regularly.

Re: Using agent with IMAP, accessing read IMAP mails offline

[JJ]

I've been trying to figure out how to read IMAP mail offline for the past
two days, but can't figure it out.

Nobody else is faced with this problem? Is this an uncommon way to access
mail?

I mean that's what the agent is for right? And/or cache... To be able to
read the mails already read, when offline.

Can someone advise me how to set it up in Gnus with IMAP? There's nowhere
else I can turn to for help in this matter...
--
JJ