I've been searching around for people's experiences implementing
alternate web interfaces for Mailman, but I've been surprised not to
find much.
The desire to do this seems obvious to me -- there's a lot of different
flavors of mailing list (discussion, announce, correspondance
management, and many others). The interface tries to support all of
these, and is rather overwhelming as a result. Since I haven't found
other people making these interfaces, I'm guessing: (a) I'm not looking
in the right places, (b) people are doing this but not sharing their
results, (c) and it's so easy they don't even need to ask public
questions about it, (d) or it's so hard they give up quickly, (e) or
it's easy but fragile, and people create lots of prototypes but nothing
serious, (e) or everyone lacks the imagination or interest to try.
Now that I list them, (a) seems the most likely, but I swear I've really
tried to find them. Are their examples people might suggest?
Right now I'm just trying to evaluate the feasibility of creating a
trimmed-down interface. Actually a couple interfaces: one for announce
list subscribers (*very* minimal), another for announce list
administrators (including some posting tools and reports), and another
simplified discussion list user interface.
Anyway, I just wanted to see if other people are thinking about this,
have already done this, or can give any advise. It doesn't look hard
from my first investigation, but I'm also not sure how to best implement
-- Mailman's web interface confuses me a bit, and I'm guessing that it's
an ad hoc application server. If we go ahead to make this, I suspect
we'll want to do something more expedient (i.e., not based on Mailman
3.0), but it would be nice to do this in a way that can be shared, and
something that isn't just a hack.
--
Ian Bicking / ianb(a)colorstudy.com / http://blog.ianbicking.org
We are (finally) about to upgrade exim.org to a less obsolete version of
Mailman [the excuse up to now has been that the box was overloaded and a
Pentium 200 wouldn't handle the upgrades needed to get current!].
In one transition we intend to:-
* Move to new hardware (Original pentium to P-IV)
* Move to a new OS (Linux (RH7.3) to FreeBSD)
* Move to a new Python (1.5.2 to 2.3)
* Move to a new directory layout
and we would like to keep the change relatively transparent :-)
In particular we would like to keep the archive URLs stable, so
regenerating the archives from the mboxes is not really an option
despite the fact it would give us slightly better handling of the few
attachments that have made it to the list. [The archives have had
messages removed in the past so a regenerate would not keep numbering
stable]
I've just been looking at Barry's notes for his list relocation at
http://www.mail-archive.com/mailman-developers@python.org/msg03127.html
Would the process detailed there work OK for this sort of move -
obviously I need to transfer the complete tree for a list from the old
machine to the new one, but thats easy enough.
The main thing I was wondering about is whether the python saved files
(ie the list db file etc) will transfer OK, or whether they have
machine/os/python-version dependencies that will preclude doing things
this way?
Cheers
Nigel.
--
[ Nigel Metheringham Nigel.Metheringham(a)InTechnology.co.uk ]
[ - Comments in this message are my own and not ITO opinion/policy - ]
On Fri, 18 Jun 2004 20:38:42 -0300
Christian Robottom Reis <kiko(a)async.com.br> wrote:
> Just a heads-up for bug 930819, which has a patch (two now) that adds
> onload form focus to the password entry in admlogin.html, a usability
> improvement for people using graphical browsers and maintaining many
> lists.
+1
--
J C Lawrence
---------(*) Satan, oscillate my metallic sonatas.
claw(a)kanga.nu He lived as a devil, eh?
http://www.kanga.nu/~claw/ Evil is a name of a foeman, as I live.
I manage a virtual community and I have installed mailman on my system in
order to give the users the ability to create their own lists and manage
them by themselves.
For this pourpose I think that mailman is almost perfect, but I would like
to avoid that list owners be able to change the default for some features,
for example because I'm worry about that low skilled people can make changes
that can make the list not usable (for example making a invalid host_name,
etc.)
Is there a way to avoid list owners change those values?
Thanx,
Ivan
__________________________________________________________________
Tiscali ADSL Senza Canone, paga solo quello che consumi!
Non perdere la promozione valida fino al 3 agosto. Per te gratis il modem
in comodato e l'attivazione. In piu' navighi a soli 1,5 euro l'ora per i
primi tre mesi. Cosa aspetti? Attivala subito!
http://abbonati.tiscali.it/adsl/prodotti/640Kbps/
Hello,
the moderator page "with details" doesn't have a "Submit" button at
the top, only at the bottom. This looks weird, as the "Discard all
deferred" checkbox is on the top (without the button).
I've filed a bugzilla report on sourceforge.
I'm not on this list, cc to me, please.
Have a nice day,
Stepan Kasal
Dear Mailman developers,
I dare to post this problem to mailman-developers, because it is
critical to us to solve it. I assume that "code insiders" as you can
possibly help in this case.
While updating MM from 2.1.2 to 2.1.5 (Mailman stopped, MTA stopped,
lock directory cleared manually, Apache stopped, 'check_perms -f' done)
the process of updating gets stuck at a specific point. I added a
'print mlist' in 'def update_pending()' after
'for listname in Utils.list_names():
mlist = MailList.MailList(listname)'
to know where it happens:
------
# bin/update
Upgrading from version 0x20102f0 to 0x20105f0
getting rid of old source files
Updating mailing list: XXX
[...updates all lists with one "could not acquire lock" message...]
Updating Usenet watermarks
- nothing to update here
Updating Mailman 2.1.4 pending.pck database
WARNING: Ignoring duplicate pending ID: 7544.
[..warns for many more "pending IDs"..]
<mailing list "list1" (locked) at 4b8300>
<mailing list "list2" (locked) at 4bbdf0>
------
...and here the process stalls forever. I ^C-stopped the update several
times, but it gets always stuck at the same list.
If I nevertheless start 2.1.5, I get around 20 of the following errors;
------
# mailmanctl start
Starting Mailman's master qrunner.
# Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/usr/pack/mailman-2.1.5-inf/bin/qrunner", line 270, in ?
main()
File "/usr/pack/mailman-2.1.5-inf/bin/qrunner", line 230, in main
qrunner.run()
File "/usr/pack/mailman-2.1.5-inf/Mailman/Queue/Runner.py", line 70,
in run
filecnt = self._oneloop()
File "/usr/pack/mailman-2.1.5-inf/Mailman/Queue/Runner.py", line 99,
in
_oneloop
msg, msgdata = self._switchboard.dequeue(filebase)
File "/usr/pack/mailman-2.1.5-inf/Mailman/Queue/Switchboard.py", line
147, in
dequeue
data = cPickle.load(fp)
EOFError
[...]
#
------
After that, MM 2.1.5 does not deliver any mails. I can go back to 2.1.2
and mail delivery continues (even for mails posted in the meantime, i.d.
when 2.1.5 was running), after having given me a about a dozen errors of
the following type:
------
Jun 26 21:43:27 2004 (1204) lost data files for filebase:
1088195523.0786779+4c5e6189f5cc4ba967f1556ffb911c03c84d6174
------
If I then go back to bin/update, the process stopps within the same
procedure as above, but at an other maillist (see above).
An other obervation is, that when doing bin/update, I get errors like
the following with some maillists:
------
# bin/update
[...]
Updating mailing list: XXXX
Updating the held requests database.
- updating old private mbox file
looks like you have a really recent CVS installation...
you're either one brave soul, or you already ran me
- updating old public mbox file
- This list looks like it might have <= b4 list templates around
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/usr/pack/mailman-2.1.5-inf/bin/update", line 782, in ?
errors = main()
File "/usr/pack/mailman-2.1.5-inf/bin/update", line 672, in main
errors = errors + dolist(listname)
File "/usr/pack/mailman-2.1.5-inf/bin/update", line 357, in dolist
os.rename(o_tmpl, n_tmpl)
OSError: [Errno 2] No such file or directory
#
------
After that, bin/update exits and I have to restart it. The next run it
will give the error with an other list. This happens three times, so
the fourth time bin/update runs through and finally stopps at the error
described at the beginning of this posting.
I'm running Python 2.2.2 on a Solaris 9 host.
Do you need more information to track down this problem?
Please reply to my personal address (fthommen(a)inf.ethz.ch), since I am
not member of this list and please be very specific if it comes to
coding, as I dont really speak Python.
Thanks a lot in advance from me and my 70 maillists :-)
frank
----------
Frank Thommen, IT Support Group, D-INFK, ETH Zuerich
Mail: fthommen(a)inf.ethz.ch; Phone: +41-1-63 27208 (Mon-Thu)
Web: http://www.isg.inf.ethz.ch
----------
I'm far from a Python guru, so that's why I'm asking the
developer's list.
I want to integrate the Mailman web pages into the rest
of my web page, but everything else is PHP. I've seen
lots of posts about using PHP with Mailman, but not really
any solutions (if I missed it, please point me in the
right direction).
With that in mind, I thought I'd try to see how to do it
myself. All I really need Mailman to do is after it
generates it's HTML to pipe the output through
/usr/bin/php before sending it to stdout where apache will
get it.
I have a solution, but I but there's a better way within
Mailman.
Right now I moved all the programs in
/usr/local/mailman/cgi-bin to
/usr/local/mailman/cgi-bin.orig, then created shell
scripts in cgi-bin that look like this:
--- start file: listinfo ---
#!/bin/sh
../cgi-bin.orig/listinfo | /usr/bin/php
--- end file: listinfo ---
That's all there is to it. Now I can add PHP directives
in Mailman's HTML code, and they get parsed.
Is there a better way?
Maybe you good folks could add some hooks into later
releases so that the user could specify a "filter" program
or something that Mailman will pipe all it's HTML output
through. That's all that is needed.
Thanx for a great program!
- John
--
"Cat's motto: No matter what you've done wrong, always try
to make it look like the dog did it." -- Unknown
http://GCFL.net (The Good, Clean Funnies List): Good, clean
funnies five times a week, no ads, for free!
On Thu, 22 Jul 2004 15:56:46 -0500
John Price <jp_mailman(a)gcfl.net> wrote:
> I have a solution, but I but there's a better way within Mailman.
SSI and suitable use of CSS can go a lone way.
--
J C Lawrence
---------(*) Satan, oscillate my metallic sonatas.
claw(a)kanga.nu He lived as a devil, eh?
http://www.kanga.nu/~claw/ Evil is a name of a foeman, as I live.
Hi,
we are encountering the following "problem" with Mailman 2.1.3:
When a subscriber sends a message to one of our lists with an UTF-8
encoded body and CTE "8bit", Mailman obviously recodes the body from
"8bit" to "base64" before distributing the mail to the subscribers of
the respective list.
Although this is perfectly legal it does not really make sense and also
creates sometimes hassles for users with MUAs which have difficulties
with base64 encoded bodies. A qp-encoding would IMO be more appropriate
for text/plain bodies, but I would prefer if Mailman would not recode
the body at all.
Three strange things in this context:
1. In the Pipermail archive, the message appears in its original "8bit"
format.
2. We are using the mail<=>news facility of Mailman, and the newsgroup
users are also receiving the message in the original "8bit" format.
3. We have one (non-public) admin mailing list where Mailman does *not*
recode the body. This particular list is also *not* gated to a
newsgroup (and this is the only difference to all of the other lists
we are currently aware of).
Any idea or suggestion what might be the reason for the recoding and how
we could avoid it?
Michael
Pardon my english. I'm italian.
I would like to allow users of my future sites to create a owner mailing list, by becoming moderator of the list created. With Plesk 7 and Mailman i have the capability to choose a password and to give it to all member of my sites or to all anonymous visitors. With this Password each user can create a New "owner" mailing list and becoming moderator of the mailing list created. The problem is that with this system each user can modify the header and the footer of each message sent and he can choose also to include in the messages sent by mailing list members images and allegates. I will, in fact, that each member can create, in freedom, a "owner mailing list" with this system. It is good. But i hate that each moderator/creator can modify the footer and the header of the messages (pre definite) sent by the owner mailing list created and i do not will that he member insert in the message sent images and allegates but only pure text or external link. I also like to deny the possibility to change the html pages type archive html, member sign up and so on (because i would like to predefine it by myself with my logo and banners). I would like that. ... Each man can create and moderate thier "owner" mailing list created but Not to change the html pages or modify the header and footer of the messages sent and not allow the sending of images or allegates (only text pure and links).
Here :
http://lists.forum99.com/mailman/create
each user with a email address can create a NEW mailing list, by becoming moderotor of the list created. List creator's (authentication) password is : "new" .
For example i have just created, using this creator password ("new"), the list : "test22jul04" password of mailing list admin : "tester".
http://lists.forum99.com/mailman/admin/test22jul04 password tester
The problem is that in the admin panel each administrator can modify "Non-digest options" and "Digest options" (header and footer). He can change the "Content filtering" and he can "Edit the public HTML pages" .
THIS IS THE MENU ADMIN :
Test22jul04 mailing list administration
General Options Section
Configuration Categories Other Administrative Activities
[General Options]
Passwords
Language options
Membership Management
Non-digest options
Digest options
Privacy options
Bounce processing
Archiving Options
Mail<->News gateways
Auto-responder
Content filtering
Topics
Tend to pending moderator requests
Go to the general list information page
Edit the public HTML pages
Go to list archives
Logout
-----------
IS IT POSSIBLE TO ELIMINATE FROM THE ADMIN MENU THESE VOICES :
Non-digest options
Digest options
Content filtering
Edit the public HTML pages
And to fix (pre define) it in a configuration file on the server ?
On the server i have in the mailgate directory a template directory :
/var/mailman/templates/ different file html that i can customize but this general menu is not present. Is it possible to eliminate these voices from the general option admin page ? Or to disable the admin capability to change these 4 voices ?
When i have to specify the password in mailman to give it to the user i have to write the command :
[root@air421 templates]# /var/mailman/bin/mmsitepass -h
This command have also a "list ONLY CREATOR password". The list creator is authorized to create and remove lists, but does not have the total power of the site administrator. Exist a system to disable these voices using this command option ? I have used this option "only creator" but the 4 voices in the menu' continue to exist. ....
Somebody can help me to disable these voices from the User Admin Option Menu' ???
Usage: /var/mailman/bin/mmsitepass [options] [password]
Options:
-c/--listcreator
Set the list creator password instead of the site password. The list
creator is authorized to create and remove lists, but does not have
the total power of the site administrator.
-h/--help
Print this help message and exit.
If password is not given on the command line, it will be prompted for.
[root@air421 templates]#
