Hi , the solution to the smtp-server not defined was there: 

http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/info-gnus-english/2010-02/msg00060.html

Re: `smtp-server' not defined


From:Katsumi Yamaoka
Subject:Re: `smtp-server' not defined
Date:Thu, 18 Feb 2010 20:11:42 +0900
User-agent:Gnus/5.110011 (No Gnus v0.11) Emacs/23.1.92 (gnu/linux)

>>>>> evan wrote:
> Any idea why I get the message "`smtp-server' not defined" when I try
> to send mail via gnus? I have tried to see what is wrong but I cannot
> find anything.

Remove smtpmail.el(c) that comes from the FLIM package (not the
one of Emacs).  You can find it by performing:

M-x locate-library RET smtpmail RET

The FLIM package contains the different version of smtpmail.el,
that issues the error message in question, though it will not be
installed normally.

-- end of quotation. 

Thanks to all of you,

I will work on emacs and gnus next days ( it is very time consuming ). 

Jo. 



2013/5/16 Feng Shu <tumashu@gmail.com>
Joseph Vidal-Rosset <joseph.vidal.rosset@gmail.com> writes:

> 2013/5/16 Feng Shu <tumashu@gmail.com>
>
>     Your setting may be same as my emacs configure ,I use 1. gnus +
>     offlineimap + dovecot + gmail + org-contacts.el 2. org-mode +
>     xelatex
>     May be my configure can help you
>
> Of course it could be helpful and I thank you warmly for your email.
> At the moment I'm using neither offlineimap neither xelatex, but why
> not.
> My worry of the day is to understand why, on my laptop only, I meet
> this error message of "smtp-server not defined"; I do not understand,
> and I see via Google that I am not alone...

some guess:
1. you can try the newest devel version from gnus.git
2. install gnutls, openssl, and so on
3. Is your authinfo correct?
4. reinstall emacs

> We stay in touch, no doubt that you can help me to succeed in
> improving my use of emacs and LaTeX.
>
> Thanks again !
>
> Jo.

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