Gnus doesn't update nntp marks files when unplugged

Gnus doesn't update nntp marks files when unplugged

[Katsumi Yamaoka]

Hi,

Sin'ya Kanematsu reported that .marks files for nntp groups
aren't updated when Gnus is unplugged.  He usually do the
following:

1. Make sure Gnus is plugged (type `J j' if needed).
2. Type `g'.
3. Type `J s'.
4. Type `J j' to make Gnus be unplugged; type `s' to save.
5. Select a group of which the level is 1 using the `=' key. [*]
6. Read articles that have been downloaded; type `@' to instruct
   Gnus to download new articles. [**]
7. Exit the group.
8. Do 5,6,7 repeatedly.

[*] He has set `gnus-agent-handle-level' to 2, though he doesn't
 have group of which the level is 2.
[**] He has set it up not to download articles by default
 because of a lot of spam.

Although I'm not familiar with unplugged operations, I also
confirmed .marks files for nntp groups aren't updated when
Gnus is unplugged.  I did:

1. Make sure Gnus is plugged.
2. Type `J u' on a group in which there're unread articles.
3. Type `J j' to make Gnus be unplugged and read articles in the
 group in question.
4. Check whether the .marks file is updated.

Is there a thing that we need to do further?  Or is it simply a
bug?

Thanks in advance.

Re: Gnus doesn't update nntp marks files when unplugged

[Katsumi Yamaoka]

Oops, this is probably a FAQ.

>>>>> In <b4mzmlc7fho.fsf@jpl.org> Katsumi Yamaoka wrote:

> .marks files for nntp groups aren't updated when Gnus is
> unplugged.

I realized people who use the nntp marks feature on purpose and
usually read articles in the unplugged condition should set the
gnus-agent-synchronize-flags variable to non-nil.

2005-09-20  Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen  <larsi@gnus.org>

	* gnus-agent.el (gnus-agent-synchronize-flags): Switch the
	default to nil, to be able to use Gnus at all.  If the default
	switches to something else, then the function should be fixed not
	be exceedingly slow.

2004-07-09  Simon Josefsson  <jas@extundo.com>

	* gnus-agent.el (gnus-agent-synchronize-flags): Revert to ask.
	Users will lose all flag changes made while unplugged with
	e.g. nntp unless flag synchronization happens, thus `nil' is not a
	good default.  See numerous reports on ding mailing list.

IMHO, we should set gnus-agent-synchronize-flags to t by default
or synchronize at least nntp marks automatically when Gnus is
re-plugged even if it takes time.  I don't know how it is slow
so far, though.

Re: Gnus doesn't update nntp marks files when unplugged

[Simon Josefsson]

Katsumi Yamaoka <yamaoka@jpl.org> writes:

> Oops, this is probably a FAQ.
>
>>>>>> In <b4mzmlc7fho.fsf@jpl.org> Katsumi Yamaoka wrote:
>
>> .marks files for nntp groups aren't updated when Gnus is
>> unplugged.
>
> I realized people who use the nntp marks feature on purpose and
> usually read articles in the unplugged condition should set the
> gnus-agent-synchronize-flags variable to non-nil.
>
> 2005-09-20  Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen  <larsi@gnus.org>
>
> 	* gnus-agent.el (gnus-agent-synchronize-flags): Switch the
> 	default to nil, to be able to use Gnus at all.  If the default
> 	switches to something else, then the function should be fixed not
> 	be exceedingly slow.
>
> 2004-07-09  Simon Josefsson  <jas@extundo.com>
>
> 	* gnus-agent.el (gnus-agent-synchronize-flags): Revert to ask.
> 	Users will lose all flag changes made while unplugged with
> 	e.g. nntp unless flag synchronization happens, thus `nil' is not a
> 	good default.  See numerous reports on ding mailing list.
>
> IMHO, we should set gnus-agent-synchronize-flags to t by default
> or synchronize at least nntp marks automatically when Gnus is
> re-plugged even if it takes time.  I don't know how it is slow
> so far, though.

I agree.  I have never found it that slow.  It is not disk or network
bound.  I read pretty large nntp groups offline, and syncing the flags
doesn't seem to take that long.

Re: Gnus doesn't update nntp marks files when unplugged

[Katsumi Yamaoka]

[-- Attachment #1: Type: text/plain, Size: 1472 bytes --]

;; I added Lars to Cc:.

Does anyone know what is *exceedingly slow*?  I'm using only
nntp and nnml, moreover am always plugged, so it is hard to
imagine what kind of back end slows Gnus down by synchronizing
flags.

>> 2005-09-20  Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen  <larsi@gnus.org>

>> 	* gnus-agent.el (gnus-agent-synchronize-flags): Switch the
>> 	default to nil, to be able to use Gnus at all.  If the default
>> 	switches to something else, then the function should be fixed not
>> 	be exceedingly slow.

>> 2004-07-09  Simon Josefsson  <jas@extundo.com>

>> 	* gnus-agent.el (gnus-agent-synchronize-flags): Revert to ask.
>> 	Users will lose all flag changes made while unplugged with
>> 	e.g. nntp unless flag synchronization happens, thus `nil' is not a
>> 	good default.  See numerous reports on ding mailing list.

> Katsumi Yamaoka <yamaoka@jpl.org> writes:

>> IMHO, we should set gnus-agent-synchronize-flags to t by default
>> or synchronize at least nntp marks automatically when Gnus is
>> re-plugged even if it takes time.  I don't know how it is slow
>> so far, though.

>>>>> In <ilulkwvz1pn.fsf@latte.josefsson.org> Simon Josefsson wrote:

> I agree.  I have never found it that slow.  It is not disk or network
> bound.  I read pretty large nntp groups offline, and syncing the flags
> doesn't seem to take that long.

I don't feel updating nntp marks is slow either.  If only the
back end which doesn't make it slow is nntp, I can make the
following change:


[-- Warning: decoded text below may be mangled, UTF-8 assumed --]
[-- Attachment #2: Type: text/x-patch, Size: 724 bytes --]

--- gnus-agent.el~	2006-01-25 07:33:34 +0000
+++ gnus-agent.el	2006-02-02 09:31:37 +0000
@@ -874,8 +874,10 @@
       (kill-buffer nil))))
 
 (defun gnus-agent-possibly-synchronize-flags-server (method)
-  "Synchronize flags for server according to `gnus-agent-synchronize-flags'."
-  (when (or (and gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
+  "Synchronize flags for server according to `gnus-agent-synchronize-flags'.
+Exceptionally, nntp marks are synchronized with flags unconditionally."
+  (when (or (memq (car method) '(nntp))
+	    (and gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
 		 (not (eq gnus-agent-synchronize-flags 'ask)))
 	    (and (eq gnus-agent-synchronize-flags 'ask)
 		 (gnus-y-or-n-p (format "Synchronize flags on server `%s'? "

Re: Gnus doesn't update nntp marks files when unplugged

[Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen]

Katsumi Yamaoka <yamaoka@jpl.org> writes:

> ;; I added Lars to Cc:.
>
> Does anyone know what is *exceedingly slow*?  I'm using only
> nntp and nnml, moreover am always plugged, so it is hard to
> imagine what kind of back end slows Gnus down by synchronizing
> flags.
>
>>> 2005-09-20  Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen  <larsi@gnus.org>
>
>>> 	* gnus-agent.el (gnus-agent-synchronize-flags): Switch the
>>> 	default to nil, to be able to use Gnus at all.  If the default
>>> 	switches to something else, then the function should be fixed not
>>> 	be exceedingly slow.

It was taking several minutes for me...  If there's still interest in
this, I can switch it back on again and see how that goes.

-- 
(domestic pets only, the antidote for overdose, milk.)
  larsi@gnus.org * Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen

Re: Gnus doesn't update nntp marks files when unplugged

[Simon Josefsson]

Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@gnus.org> writes:

> Katsumi Yamaoka <yamaoka@jpl.org> writes:
>
>> ;; I added Lars to Cc:.
>>
>> Does anyone know what is *exceedingly slow*?  I'm using only
>> nntp and nnml, moreover am always plugged, so it is hard to
>> imagine what kind of back end slows Gnus down by synchronizing
>> flags.
>>
>>>> 2005-09-20  Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen  <larsi@gnus.org>
>>
>>>> 	* gnus-agent.el (gnus-agent-synchronize-flags): Switch the
>>>> 	default to nil, to be able to use Gnus at all.  If the default
>>>> 	switches to something else, then the function should be fixed not
>>>> 	be exceedingly slow.
>
> It was taking several minutes for me...  If there's still interest in
> this, I can switch it back on again and see how that goes.

Yes, please do.  Nnimap users are bitten by this behaviour when they
try the agent.  The result is that none of the flag changes made while
offline are synchronized back to the server if that flag is disabled.
I think the default should be t.  It has always been quite fast for
me.

Re: Gnus doesn't update nntp marks files when unplugged

[Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen]

Simon Josefsson <jas@extundo.com> writes:

> Yes, please do.  Nnimap users are bitten by this behaviour when they
> try the agent.  The result is that none of the flag changes made while
> offline are synchronized back to the server if that flag is disabled.
> I think the default should be t.  It has always been quite fast for
> me.

Ok; I've switched it on, and I'll see how that goes.

-- 
(domestic pets only, the antidote for overdose, milk.)
  larsi@gnus.org * Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen