get new mail without new news

get new mail without new news

[John Twilley]

I'm trying out Gnus for news and mail, and came across something
frustrating that I didn't see in an admittedly cursory glance through
the documentation and source code.

I'm starting with 'nnfolder:mail.misc' and will eventually craft a
gnifty mail sorter-filter-percolater to toss mail in multiple groups.

My problem is this:  occasionally I'll get a new mail message and want
to read it without checking all my newsgroups for new messages.  Since
I'm currently using only one mail group, I 'j' to the group if it's
not on the screen already, then 'ESC g' to get only that group.

This only works until I start splitting my mail.  What's the best way
to update only my mail and not my news?

Jack.
-- 
John Twilley | Net Daemons Associates, Inc.       | Voice: (617) 937-3338
jmt@nda.com  | 800 West Cummings Park, Suite 2050 | Fax:   (617) 937-3775
New Address! | Woburn, MA 01801                   | Pager: (617) 671-7580

Re: get new mail without new news

[David S. Goldberg]

> I'm trying out Gnus for news and mail, and came across something
> frustrating that I didn't see in an admittedly cursory glance
> through the documentation and source code.

Look a bit more closely, it's in there.

Set your mail group(s) to level 2 (news groups are level 3 by
default).  Then do a `2 g' to fetch only the mail groups when you want
to pull in new mail.

For limiting to email, this is what I do: I run M-x gnus-no-server
instead of M-x gnus.  This gives me a mail-only gnus.  When I want to
read news I do a `3 g' and all my nntp groups get fetched (as well as
any new mail that might be in my spool files).  Unfortunately there's
no way that I know of to only read news, but in general that's not
much of a problem.  I could probably separate them in topic mode and
hide the mail groups, but I have other uses for topics.  Anyway, when
I'm done with news, I do a `2 l' (note that's l, not g) and my gnus
session will only be for mail again (that is, typing g only fetches
from my mail spools).

--
Dave Goldberg
Post: The Mitre Corporation\MS B305\202 Burlington Rd.\Bedford, MA 01730
Phone: 617-271-3887
Email: dsg@mitre.org

Re: get new mail without new news

[John Twilley]

>>>>> "David" == David S Goldberg <dsg@linus.mitre.org> writes:

[re: reading new mail without checking for new news]

    David> Look a bit more closely, it's in there.

Well, this part is in there, yes.  I wasn't clear. :-)

    David> Set your mail group(s) to level 2 (news groups are level 3
    David> by default).  Then do a `2 g' to fetch only the mail groups
    David> when you want to pull in new mail.

How do you set a group's level?  This is what wasn't clearly
documented, where 'clearly documented' is defined as 'what I can find
in a manual'. :-)

    David> For limiting to email, this is what I do: I run M-x
    David> gnus-no-server instead of M-x gnus.  This gives me a
    David> mail-only gnus.  When I want to read news I do a `3 g' and
    David> all my nntp groups get fetched (as well as any new mail
    David> that might be in my spool files).  Unfortunately there's no
    David> way that I know of to only read news, but in general that's
    David> not much of a problem.  I could probably separate them in
    David> topic mode and hide the mail groups, but I have other uses
    David> for topics.  Anyway, when I'm done with news, I do a `2 l'
    David> (note that's l, not g) and my gnus session will only be for
    David> mail again (that is, typing g only fetches from my mail
    David> spools).

Cool trick -- once I learn how to set levels for groups!

Jack.
-- 
John Twilley | Net Daemons Associates, Inc.       | Voice: (617) 937-3338
jmt@nda.com  | 800 West Cummings Park, Suite 2050 | Fax:   (617) 937-3775
New Address! | Woburn, MA 01801                   | Pager: (617) 671-7580

Re: get new mail without new news

[Steinar Bang]

>>>>> John Twilley <jmt@nda.nda.com>:

>>>>> "David" == David S Goldberg <dsg@linus.mitre.org> writes:

David> Set your mail group(s) to level 2 (news groups are level 3
David> by default).  Then do a `2 g' to fetch only the mail groups
David> when you want to pull in new mail.

> How do you set a group's level?  This is what wasn't clearly
> documented, where 'clearly documented' is defined as 'what I can
> find in a manual'. :-)

In the *Group* buffer, position yourself over a group, and type
	S l
or you can select the menu entry
	Group -> Set group level (S l)
answer "1", or "2", and hit RETURN.

I *think* you can also use process marks on this setting (type #, when
standing on a group, and M-# to remove a mark).  If so, all marked
groups will change the setting of their level.

But I've never tested this.

Re: get new mail without new news

[Daniel Simms]

>>>>> "SB" == Steinar Bang <sb@metis.no> writes:

  SB> In the *Group* buffer, position yourself over a group, and type
  SB> S l or you can select the menu entry Group -> Set group level (S
  SB> l) answer "1", or "2", and hit RETURN.

You can also use a numeric prefix arg to S l.  Linenumber mode can
help you figure out how many groups you need to change.

-- 
Daniel Simms           "You don't have to pretend to be interested in 
dsimms@alink.net        me you know.  I know I'm only a menial robot."
(408) 720-6161                           -- Marvin, _HhGttG_

Re: get new mail without new news

[Mats Lidell]

>>>>> David wrote:

David> Unfortunately there's no way that I know of to only read news,
David> but in general that's not much of a problem.

Right. That is probably not a problem.

There is a somewhat related problem though with reading (old) mail
when you are offline. There should really be a (fast) way to just get
gnus going on your old mail without even trying to get new mail (nor
news).

%% Mats

Re: get new mail without new news

[Aaron Ucko]

John Twilley <jmt@nda.nda.com> writes:

> My problem is this:  occasionally I'll get a new mail message and want
> to read it without checking all my newsgroups for new messages.  Since
> I'm currently using only one mail group, I 'j' to the group if it's
> not on the screen already, then 'ESC g' to get only that group.
> 
> This only works until I start splitting my mail.  What's the best way
> to update only my mail and not my news?

Put your mail groups on lower levels than your newsgroups (I use
levels 1 and 2 for mail and levels 3 and 4 for news) and then use
'N g' (replacing 'N' with the highest level you use for mail groups)
to get just mail.  I believe this is in the FAQ and/or the manual, BTW.

-- 
Aaron M. Ucko (amu@mit.edu) | For Geek Code, PGP public key, and other info,
finger amu@monk.mit.edu. | "Kids! Bringing about Armageddon can be dangerous.
Do not attempt it in your home." -- T. Pratchett & N. Gaiman, _Good Omens_

Re: get new mail without new news

[Darren/Torin/Who Ever...]

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John Twilley, in an immanent manifestation of deity, wrote:
>My problem is this:  occasionally I'll get a new mail message and want
>to read it without checking all my newsgroups for new messages.  Since
>[...]
>This only works until I start splitting my mail.  What's the best way
>to update only my mail and not my news?

Just go into the server buffer (^ from the group buffer) and press s on
the nnfolder (or whatever) server.  That will only update groups based
on that server..

On a related topic, I thought there was a way to just update the new
messages by topic but I don't see it anywhere.  Am I just being
delusional?

Darren
- -- 
<torin@daft.com> <http://www.daft.com/~torin> <torin@debian.org> <torin@io.com>
Darren Stalder/2608 Second Ave, @282/Seattle, WA 98121-1212/USA/+1-800-921-4996
@ Do you have your clothes on? I probably don't. Take yours off. Feel better. @
@ Sysadmin, webweaver, postmaster for hire.  C/Perl/CGI programmer and tutor. @

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Re: get new mail without new news

[Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen]

"Darren/Torin/Who Ever..." <torin@daft.com> writes:

> On a related topic, I thought there was a way to just update the new
> messages by topic but I don't see it anywhere. 

`M-g' on the topic line.

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