Mailman 3 March 1999 - Mailman-Users

Persistent Error (b10 and b9)
by Clark Evans 29 Mar '99

29 Mar '99

I've been getting a persistent error in both b9 and b10, here is one of about 100 instances of the error. Clark Mar 28 18:19:21 1999 admin: @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ admin: [----- Mailman Version: 1.0b9 -----] admin: [----- Traceback ------] admin: Traceback (innermost last): admin: File "/sites/jos/mailman/scripts/driver", line 112, in run_main admin: main() admin: File "../Mailman/Cgi/listinfo.py", line 40, in main admin: FormatListinfoOverview() admin: File "../Mailman/Cgi/listinfo.py", line 87, in FormatListinfoOverview admin: l = MailList.MailList(n, lock = 0) admin: File "/sites/jos/mailman/Mailman/MailList.py", line 59, in __init__ admin: self.Load() admin: File "/sites/jos/mailman/Mailman/MailList.py", line 713, in Load admin: for (key, value) in dict.items(): admin: AttributeError: 'int' object has no attribute 'items' admin: [----- Environment Variables -----] admin: DOCUMENT_ROOT: /sites/jos/www admin: SERVER_PORT: 80 admin: REMOTE_ADDR: 195.21.35.14 admin: HTTP_USER_AGENT: Mozilla/3.04 (Win95; I) admin: GATEWAY_INTERFACE: CGI/1.1 admin: SERVER_NAME: jos.org admin: HTTP_CONNECTION: Keep-Alive admin: SCRIPT_FILENAME: /sites/jos/mailman/cgi-bin/listinfo admin: HTTP_ACCEPT: image/gif, image/x-xbitmap, image/jpeg, image/pjpeg, */* admin: REQUEST_URI: /mailman/listinfo admin: PATH: /usr/sbin:/usr/bin admin: QUERY_STRING: admin: SERVER_PROTOCOL: HTTP/1.0 admin: HTTP_HOST: jos.org admin: REQUEST_METHOD: GET admin: SERVER_SIGNATURE: admin: SCRIPT_NAME: /mailman/listinfo admin: SERVER_ADMIN: webmaster(a)jos.org admin: SERVER_SOFTWARE: Apache/1.3.3 (Unix) admin: PYTHONPATH: /sites/jos/mailman admin: HTTP_REFERER: http://www.jos.org/wiki/view/main/MailingLists admin: TZ: US/Eastern admin: REMOTE_PORT: 1283

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Format of database?
by John Reekie 28 Mar '99

28 Mar '99

Hi folks, what format are the configuration databases for mailman in? Is it dbm? Also, is there any documentation on the structure of the db? I need to modify the db from another program. Thanks, any pointers appreciated! JohnR

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More on linking two lists
by Greg Connor 28 Mar '99

28 Mar '99

Here's a little more discussion about how to link up two related lists (like a discussion list and announcements list). I still haven't really solved the problem, but this info may still be helpful to other folks trying to set up similar list-relationships... (Also, if there is some option or feature I missed that would do what I want, please tell me :-) My objective is: "test-announce" members get only stuff sent to "test-announce" "test" members get stuff from both "test" and "test-announce" Restrict posting to "test-announce" to subscribers of either "test" or "test-announce" (this part will be hard) Restrict posting to "test" to "test" subscribers (but allow test-announce messages in too) Unfortunately there really is no way to do what I want. Restricting posting privilege to members only really only works for that specific list and doesn't seem to be compatible with cascading lists... A feature that might be cool for a future version of Mailman might be to allow adding to "posters" setting (ie. Addresses of members accepted for posting to this list without implicit approval requirement.) in terms of "Members of (x) other list also on this machine". For example, the test-announce list can allow unmoderated posting from its own members (member_posting_only = yes) and additionally from "test" members... where "posters" list might include something like "members(test)". That is, things that look like members(*) in the list are taken to mean "allow from subscribers of x" where x is some other list. This could be useful for any list whose posting list is different from its actual first-tier subscriber list... for example, if you have a "test-administrators" list, you can quickly set it up so that test-administrators are allowed to send announcements to test-announce, but nobody else (and you won't have to maintain two lists). Anyway, given the current feature list, here are the two ways I found to set up linked lists. Option one: simple alias hack People subscribe to either "test-announce" or "test". Messages sent to test-announce are copied (via tweaking their aliases) to both lists. Mailman interprets this as if a message was sent to "test-announce" and BCC'd to "test". ("test" must be told that "test-announce" is an alternate alias to avoid mail being held for "Implicit destination") This option is not great, because in order for any member (of either list) to send to test-announce, BOTH lists need to be set open to all senders (member_posting_only must be off). Here's why: From test member to test-announce: "test" copy goes through "test-announce" copy held for approval (unless "test-announce" is open to all senders) From test-announce member to test-announce: "test-announce" copy goes through "test" copy held for approval (unless "test" is also open to all senders) This option is easier to set up, and is great for smaller lists where outsiders are not as likely to try to spam the list (or you don't care if the odd external message makes it through). You would need to either open posting to everyone, hold all announcements for approval, or maintain a separate list of authorized senders to the announce list. Option two: third "umbrella" list (as suggested by Ken M, with slight changes) People subscribe to either "test-announce" or "test". Actual incoming mail for "test-announce" is really redirected to "test-umbrella". test-umbrella has two members, test and test-announce. This only works if member_posting_only is turned off, and "test-umbrella-admin" is added as an authorized poster to both lists. Since the umbrella lists doesn't have any real people as members, turning on member_posting_only doesn't help... you still need to either open posting to everyone, hold all announcements for approval, or maintain a separate list of authorized senders to the announce list. The advantage of option two is that you can leave the "discussion" list as restricted to its members. This would be better for a high-volume list that is unmoderated but doesn't take messages from non-members, except the occasional announcement (which you approve as they come or limit to a select few announcement-authorized people). In this model, members of the announce-only list don't have authority to send either announcements or discussion, unless you open the umbrella list to the entire world.

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Re: List administration and moderation
by Paul Barnett 27 Mar '99

27 Mar '99

----- Original Message ----- From: Paul Barnett <ptb(a)home.ptb.org> To: <mailman-users(a)python.org> Sent: Tuesday, March 23, 1999 8:14 AM Subject: List adminstration and moderation > Since I'm a new user (Mailman 1.0b9), I'm not sure if the "problem" I'm > describing is actually a feature, but I'll submit it for consideration: > > When I first enter mailing list administration: > > http://x/mailman/admin/test > > I get a demand for "Administrative Authentication". That's expected, but if > I immediately click on "Tend to pending administrative requests": > > http://x/mailman/admindb/test > > I get a second demand for "Administrative Authentication". I thought this > might be so that a list manager could specify a different password for > moderation and thus let other people perform that function without giving > them access to everything else, but I can't find the ability to specify that > option. > > Is there another reason it is demanding a password a second time? I did a little more investigation on this one after installing 1.0b10. It's probably an idiosyncrasy in M$ Internet Exploder. I'm almost positive I observed the above behavior on 4.0+SP1, and am definitely seeing it on 5.0 (the released version, not beta) for WinNT 4.0+SP4. On the other hand, I don't see it on Netscape Navigator 4.51 for Linux (Redhat 5.2, with a 2.2.3 kernel). Of course, another variation is that the WinNT system is a remote system on my (very small) network, while Netscape is running on the SAME system as the mailing list software. I believe I've seen the aberrant behavior on a "truly" remote system running WinNT 4.0+SP3 and IE 4.0+SP1. I'll confirm it at my next opportunity, but won't follow up unless I find that it works correctly. It's no big deal, but might be worth investigation in the future. My guess is that there is some slight difference in the two cookies that is confusing Internet Exploder.

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Re: Subject: Re: [Mailman-Users] Making two "connected" lists
by Greg Connor 27 Mar '99

27 Mar '99

>On Mon, 22 Mar, Greg Connor <gconnor(a)nekodojo.org> wrote: > >> I would like to make two "connected" lists... The idea is that some >users >> want to get "announcements only" and other users want "announcements >and >> discussion". At 05:39 PM 3/24/99 -0500, Ken Manheimer wrote: >Check out the admin general-options long description for the "umbrella >lists" option (search for "umbrella" on a list's general admin options >page). If i'm not mistaken, umbrella lists are specifically intended >for what you're trying to do. Good info, thanks. I specifically need to know, if I set up two lists, with some users on x-announce and some on x-discussion, will the "umbrella list" option know that anyone from EITHER list is authorized to post, under the members-only clause? That is, is the umbrella list option designed to be used with the "restrict posting to members only" option? Does anyone know this? I am guessing that it probably isn't. If there is some slick way to send messages to both lists (either umbrella list or a common alias) AND still restrict posting to members, that would be great for what I want. Otherwise, I'll probably just set posting to "allow anyone" for both lists... Thanks again. gregc

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HOGtalk
by HPtopgun＠aol.com 27 Mar '99

27 Mar '99

I have been trying to unsubscribe to Hogtalk for days. I've forgotten my password and erased my original confirmation message and the folks at HOGtalk(a)HOGhighway.com persist in sending me "tons of garbage" that is a pain to keep erasing. It is a real mess and I really want to stop it. Can you help me Unsubscribe?

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Bouncing Problem
by Terry Grace 27 Mar '99

27 Mar '99

I seem to have a problem with automatically disabling list subscriptions on bounces. Some disable fine while others will not disable at all. In ~/mailman/logs/bounce I get the following in response to a single post: Mar 23 12:52:43 1999 Nortel-list: user(a)domain.com - 1 more allowed Mar 23 13:52:22 1999 Nortel-list: user(a)domain.com - 1 more allowed Mar 23 13:52:23 1999 Nortel-list: user(a)domain.com - 1 more allowed Mar 23 14:52:25 1999 Nortel-list: user(a)domain.com - 1 more allowed Mar 23 21:52:22 1999 Nortel-list: user(a)domain.com - 1 more allowed Sometimes it says 0 allowed. Some are the result of deferred connections (4xx?) while others are the results of no route to host (5xx?). I also get lots of 550 User Unknowns returned but the subscriptions are only occassionally disabled. Becoming a royal pain as these e-mails stay in the queue for quite awhile and every failed attempt gets copied to postmaster. Don't want to manually unsubscribe members unless I have to. Anyone have any ideas?

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Mailman 1.0b10
by Barry A. Warsaw 26 Mar '99

26 Mar '99

Hi everyone, I'm releasing Mailman 1.0b10 today; hopefully we'll have more luck with this than b9. I need to concentrate on other things for a while, now that python.org seems to be smoothly running this version. Unless there are showstopper bugs, I would like this version to be 1.0 final, so please do bang on it a lot. If you do find bugs, it would be great if you can enter them into the Jitterbug database. See http://www.python.org/mailman-bugs I know there's a lot y'all would like to see done. Weighed against the slippage in when I thought 1.0 final would be out, I think we have to just be happy with what we've got for now, get it out the door, and then begin working on improvements. Like John said at LISA: "all mailing list managers suck, ours just sucks less" ... hopefully :-) Go to www.list.org to pick up the current tarball. Note that the old ftp URL won't work anymore. BE SURE TO READ THE `UPGRADING' FILE FOR IMPORTANT INFORMATION. There's still time to vote on the logo. Voting is closed whenever I do the first release candidate (no date set, but SOON). My priority for the next release will be to craft the Web pages for gnu.org, clean up documentation, and get things ready for the mass of new adopters (yeah!). I can't guarantee that I'll be hacking any code unless there's severe breakage in this tarball. Enjoy, and thanks everyone, -Barry

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Small bugfix against mailman-1.0b9
by Kadlecsik Jozsi 26 Mar '99

26 Mar '99

*** Mailman/Cgi/admin.py.orig Fri Mar 26 10:10:36 1999 --- Mailman/Cgi/admin.py Fri Mar 26 10:10:56 1999 *************** *** 119,125 **** is_auth = isAuthenticated(lst) message = "" if not is_auth: ! defaulturi = 'mailman/admin%s/%s' % (mm_cfg.CGIEXT, list_name) print "Content-type: text/html\n\n" text = Utils.maketext( 'admlogin.txt', --- 119,125 ---- is_auth = isAuthenticated(lst) message = "" if not is_auth: ! defaulturi = '/mailman/admin%s/%s' % (mm_cfg.CGIEXT, list_name) print "Content-type: text/html\n\n" text = Utils.maketext( 'admlogin.txt', Regards, Jozsef -- E-mail : kadlec(a)sunserv.kfki.hu, kadlec(a)blackhole.kfki.hu PGP key: finger kadlec(a)sunserv.kfki.hu | WWW: http://www.kfki.hu/~kadlec Address: KFKI Research Institute for Particle and Nuclear Physics H-1525 Budapest 114, POB. 49, Hungary

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Mailman 1.0b9, password requirement.
by Sylvain Bolduc 25 Mar '99

25 Mar '99

Greetings, Is there a way for users to subscribe via e-mail or web but NOT to have to specify a password. Why it's seems absolutely necessary ? For security reasons ? Some other mailling list program doesn't require it, they are just looking for the Sender Address that match the one into the database and providing an unique id number into the message needed to be replied. For flexibility, it could be good to have and option into Mailman that let us to enable/disable it. Or if we leave that field empty, by default have one autogenerated in that case. (Just alike the Mass Subscribe Members options) Best regards Sylvain Bolduc UniGlobal 1801, McGill College, suite 1010 Montreal (Quebec) H3A 2N4 Tel: (514) 840-1158 poste 351 Fax: (514) 840-1166 sbolduc(a)uni-global.com <mailto:sbolduc@uni-global.com> http://www.uni-global.com

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