Getting started reading mail stored in local maildir

Getting started reading mail stored in local maildir

[Dan Davison]

I want to try out gnus, but have got nowhere so far. I would greatly 
appreciate instruction on how to read mail stored locally in maildirs.

My email is downloaded by getmail, and stored by procmail into a variety 
of maildirs stored under ~/email/. However in order to start playing with 
gnus, I have created the directory ~/Maildir containing a single 
maildir-format directory:

~> ls ~/Maildir/dan-mail/
cur  new  tmp

My ~/.gnus.el contains

(setq gnus-select-method '(nnnil ""))
(setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
      '((nnmaildir "" (directory "/home/dan/Maildir/"))))

When I start gnus I enter a (Group Plugged) buffer which is empty 
with the message "No more unread newsgroups". When I hit "L" I see

       0: nndraft:queue 
       0: nndraft:drafts 

When I hit "^" I enter a (Server Plugged) buffer containing

 {nnfolder:archive} (closed)

 RET on that line results in a message "Connecting to archive ... done", after
which "L" displays

     {nnfolder:archive} (opened)


This isn't the first time I've lost a few hours trying to get started 
with gnus, so I am giving up and sending this (admittedly pathetic) email.

Thanks for any help!

Dan

Re: Getting started reading mail stored in local maildir

[Andrzej Adam Filip]

David <de_bb@arcor.de> wrote:

> Andrzej Adam Filip <anfi@onet.eu> writes:
>> My ~/Maildir directory is "managed" by dovecot pop/imap.
>> Dovecot uses names starting with dot for "sub folder directories".
>> [e.g. sub folder/sub maildir "Sent" is kept in ~/Maildir/.Sent directory]
>> Gnus "refuses to see" sub directories starting with dot.
>
> Why don't you use nnimap to access the Dovecot server? It's much faster
> than nnmaildir anyway. Also, nnmaildir manages marks differently from
> the usual maildir standard.

Currently I use IMAP via tcp to localhost to allow using multiple email
clients in parallel on my PC.
I consider switching gnus configuration to IMAP via stdin/stdout.
*BUT*
I want to be *sure* I can use direct maildir access as "fall-back".

-- 
[pl>en Andrew] Andrzej Adam Filip : anfi@onet.eu : anfi@xl.wp.pl
Murder is always a mistake -- one should never do anything one cannot
talk about after dinner.
  -- Oscar Wilde, "The Picture of Dorian Gray"

Re: Getting started reading mail stored in local maildir

[David]

Andrzej Adam Filip <anfi@onet.eu> writes:
> My ~/Maildir directory is "managed" by dovecot pop/imap.
> Dovecot uses names starting with dot for "sub folder directories".
> [e.g. sub folder/sub maildir "Sent" is kept in ~/Maildir/.Sent directory]
> Gnus "refuses to see" sub directories starting with dot.

Why don't you use nnimap to access the Dovecot server? It's much faster
than nnmaildir anyway. Also, nnmaildir manages marks differently from
the usual maildir standard.

-David

Re: Getting started reading mail stored in local maildir

[Andrzej Adam Filip]

Andrzej Adam Filip <anfi@onet.eu> wrote:

> Teemu Likonen <tlikonen@iki.fi> wrote:
>
>> On 2009-02-08 23:25 (UTC), Dan Davison wrote:
>>
>>> I want to try out gnus, but have got nowhere so far. I would greatly
>>> appreciate instruction on how to read mail stored locally in maildirs.
>>
>>> When I start gnus I enter a (Group Plugged) buffer which is empty 
>>> with the message "No more unread newsgroups". When I hit "L" I see
>>>
>>>        0: nndraft:queue 
>>>        0: nndraft:drafts 
>>
>> I'm not sure but I'd probably try "F" (Find new newsgroups) in *Group*
>> buffer.
>
> No luck on my PC.
> [ I also would like to make gnus list maildir+ folders ]

The hint:
My ~/Maildir directory is "managed" by dovecot pop/imap.
Dovecot uses names starting with dot for "sub folder directories".
[e.g. sub folder/sub maildir "Sent" is kept in ~/Maildir/.Sent directory]
Gnus "refuses to see" sub directories starting with dot.

When I created soft link ~/Maildir/Sent -> ~/Maildir/.Sent gnus could
see "Sent" folder (nnmaildir:Sent) but could not access messages stored
in the "sub maildir".

-- 
[pl>en Andrew] Andrzej Adam Filip : anfi@onet.eu : anfi@xl.wp.pl
There is a multi-legged creature crawling on your shoulder.
  -- Spock, "A Taste of Armageddon", stardate 3193.9

Re: Getting started reading mail stored in local maildir

[Dan Davison]

Richard Riley <rileyrgdev <at> gmail.com> writes:

> 
> 
> Dan Davison <davison <at> stats.ox.ac.uk> writes:
> 

> > I want to try out gnus, but have got nowhere so far. I would
> > greatly appreciate instruction on how to read mail stored
> > locally in maildirs.
> >
> > My email is downloaded by getmail, and stored by procmail
> > into a variety of maildirs stored under ~/email/. However in
> > order to start playing with gnus, I have created the
> > directory ~/Maildir containing a single maildir-format
> > directory:
> >
> > ~> ls ~/Maildir/dan-mail/
> > cur  new  tmp
> >
> > My ~/.gnus.el contains
> >
> > (setq gnus-select-method '(nnnil ""))
> > (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
> >       '((nnmaildir "" (directory "/home/dan/Maildir/"))))
> >
> > When I start gnus I enter a (Group Plugged) buffer which is
> > empty with the message "No more unread newsgroups". When I
> > hit "L" I see
> >
> >        0: nndraft:queue 
> >        0: nndraft:drafts 
> >
> > When I hit "^" I enter a (Server Plugged) buffer containing
> >
> >  {nnfolder:archive} (closed)
> >
> >  RET on that line results in a message "Connecting to archive
> > ... done", after which "L" displays
> >
> >      {nnfolder:archive} (opened)
> >
> >
> > This isn't the first time I've lost a few hours trying to get
> > started with gnus, so I am giving up and sending
> > this (admittedly pathetic) email.
> >
> > Thanks for any help!
> >
> > Dan
> >
> >
> 
> I used to use local Maildir so know it works. I cant remember
> what i did though, but did you try here?
> 
> http://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/UsingProcmailWithGnus#toc3
> 


Thanks Richard, I did not. Stupidly I had been googling for
gnus+getmail but not gnus+procmail, and I hadn't arrived at the 
correct combination of mail-sources and select-methods. 
So I'm up and running now with the following based on that 
EmacsWiki

(setq gnus-select-method
      '(nnmaildir "email" (directory "~/email-gnus/")))
(setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nntp "news.gmane.org")))

(setq mail-sources
      (mapcar
       (lambda(dir) (list 'maildir :path dir :subdirs
			  '("cur" "new" "tmp")))
       (directory-files "~/email-gnus" nil "^[^.]")))

One question for now:

I've resorted to using the web to post this! I couldn't find this
thread in nntp+news.gmane.org:gmane.emacs.gnus.general, and of
course my subscription to the mailing list postdated this
message. So I didn't know how to use gnus to reply to this thread
with the correct headers. Why isn't this thread in the newsgroup?

Dan

Re: Getting started reading mail stored in local maildir

[Andrzej Adam Filip]

Teemu Likonen <tlikonen@iki.fi> wrote:

> On 2009-02-08 23:25 (UTC), Dan Davison wrote:
>
>> I want to try out gnus, but have got nowhere so far. I would greatly
>> appreciate instruction on how to read mail stored locally in maildirs.
>
>> When I start gnus I enter a (Group Plugged) buffer which is empty 
>> with the message "No more unread newsgroups". When I hit "L" I see
>>
>>        0: nndraft:queue 
>>        0: nndraft:drafts 
>
> I'm not sure but I'd probably try "F" (Find new newsgroups) in *Group*
> buffer.

No luck on my PC.
[ I also would like to make gnus list maildir+ folders ]

-- 
[pl>en Andrew] Andrzej Adam Filip : anfi@onet.eu : anfi@xl.wp.pl
The confusion of a staff member is measured by the length of his memos.
  -- New York Times, Jan. 20, 1981

Re: Getting started reading mail stored in local maildir

[Teemu Likonen]

On 2009-02-08 23:25 (UTC), Dan Davison wrote:

> I want to try out gnus, but have got nowhere so far. I would greatly
> appreciate instruction on how to read mail stored locally in maildirs.

> When I start gnus I enter a (Group Plugged) buffer which is empty 
> with the message "No more unread newsgroups". When I hit "L" I see
>
>        0: nndraft:queue 
>        0: nndraft:drafts 

I'm not sure but I'd probably try "F" (Find new newsgroups) in *Group*
buffer.

Re: Getting started reading mail stored in local maildir

[Richard Riley]

Dan Davison <davison@stats.ox.ac.uk> writes:

> I want to try out gnus, but have got nowhere so far. I would greatly 
> appreciate instruction on how to read mail stored locally in maildirs.
>
> My email is downloaded by getmail, and stored by procmail into a variety 
> of maildirs stored under ~/email/. However in order to start playing with 
> gnus, I have created the directory ~/Maildir containing a single 
> maildir-format directory:
>
> ~> ls ~/Maildir/dan-mail/
> cur  new  tmp
>
> My ~/.gnus.el contains
>
> (setq gnus-select-method '(nnnil ""))
> (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
>       '((nnmaildir "" (directory "/home/dan/Maildir/"))))
>
> When I start gnus I enter a (Group Plugged) buffer which is empty 
> with the message "No more unread newsgroups". When I hit "L" I see
>
>        0: nndraft:queue 
>        0: nndraft:drafts 
>
> When I hit "^" I enter a (Server Plugged) buffer containing
>
>  {nnfolder:archive} (closed)
>
>  RET on that line results in a message "Connecting to archive ... done", after
> which "L" displays
>
>      {nnfolder:archive} (opened)
>
>
> This isn't the first time I've lost a few hours trying to get started 
> with gnus, so I am giving up and sending this (admittedly pathetic) email.
>
> Thanks for any help!
>
> Dan
>
>

I used to use local Maildir so know it works. I cant remember what i did
though, but did you try here?

http://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/UsingProcmailWithGnus#toc3

-- 
 important and urgent problems of the technology of today are no longer the satisfactions of the primary needs or of archetypal wishes, but the reparation of the evils and damages by the technology of yesterday.  ~Dennis Gabor, Innovations:  Scientific, Technological and Social, 1970