Migrating Mailman Lists from One Server to Another
Greeting,
Is there a recommended a stable or reliable approach for migrating Mailman lists from one server to another? I have tried two methods already and, in both cases, the resulting lists were buggy. The source lists are not live (i.e. old server/host is no longer accessible). However, we copied all files/folders from the previous /var/lib/mailman/ to a folder in our new server. I guess the scenario rules out Method-#1 described on https://wiki.list.org/DOC/4.70%20How%20do%20I%20change%20the%20name%20of%20%...
I also tried the steps illustrated on https://debian-administration.org/article/567/Migrating_mailman_lists. That gave me lots of errors pertaining to permissions despite running 'check_perms -f' (makes me wonder what the recommended permissions/ownership for files in /var/lib/mailman/ would be). In the end, the lists were visible via the web interface but I couldn't log into administration from there (I got an error page ... something about Mailman being buggy). Some other pages wouldn't open too. I got similar results after following https://www.mail-archive.com/mailman-developers@python.org/msg03127.html
Method #2 at https://wiki.list.org/DOC/4.70%20How%20do%20I%20change%20the%20name%20of%20%... sounds appealing. I tried the script but python2 was looking for a path module. Is that script still supported? In any case, I'd appreciate any help I can get to bring our lists back online.
Regards Onyeibo
On 10/29/20 3:00 AM, Onyeibo Oku wrote:
I also tried the steps illustrated on https://debian-administration.org/article/567/Migrating_mailman_lists. That gave me lots of errors pertaining to permissions despite running 'check_perms -f' (makes me wonder what the recommended permissions/ownership for files in /var/lib/mailman/ would be).
check_perms should make them right. The important thing is group
permissions on files should be rw and directories rws and the group
should be Mailman's group. If check_perms says things are OK and there
are still permission errors, it is probably a SELinux or apparmor issue.
In the end, the lists were visible via the web interface but I couldn't log into administration from there (I got an error page ... something about Mailman being buggy). Some other pages wouldn't open too.
When you get the "we hit a bug" page, you have to look at Mailman's error log to see what the issue is.
Did you see https://wiki.list.org/x/4030682 and the two posts linked from its first paragraph?
Basically, the first step is to install Mailman and get it working on
the new server. Once you have a working Mailman installation on the new
server, for each list you want to move, create the
/var/lib/mailman/LISTNAME directory on the new server and move the
/var/lib/mailman/LISTNAME/config.pck file to it. That should be all you
need to move the list. For archives, create the
/var/lib/mailman/archives/private/LISTNAME.mbox directory and move the
/var/lib/mailman/archives/private/LISTNAME.mbox/LISTNAME.mbox file. Then
run bin/arch --wipe LISTNAME as the mailman user to rebuild the
pipermail archive.
-- Mark Sapiro mark@msapiro.net The highway is for gamblers, San Francisco Bay Area, California better use your sense - B. Dylan
Hi Mark,
On Thu Oct 29, 2020 at 5:14 PM WAT, Mark Sapiro wrote:
On 10/29/20 3:00 AM, Onyeibo Oku wrote:
check_perms should make them right. The important thing is group permissions on files should be
rwand directoriesrwsand the group should be Mailman's group. If check_perms says things are OK and there are still permission errors, it is probably a SELinux or apparmor issue.Basically, the first step is to install Mailman and get it working on the new server. Once you have a working Mailman installation on the new server, for each list you want to move, create the /var/lib/mailman/LISTNAME directory on the new server and move the /var/lib/mailman/LISTNAME/config.pck file to it. That should be all you need to move the list. For archives, create the /var/lib/mailman/archives/private/LISTNAME.mbox directory and move the /var/lib/mailman/archives/private/LISTNAME.mbox/LISTNAME.mbox file. Then run
bin/arch --wipe LISTNAMEas the mailman user to rebuild the pipermail archive.
It worked! It worked! Thank you so very much.
Regards Onyeibo
There is one unresolved List however.
One particular List has a public archive. All attempts to access the archive via the web gives me "403 Forbidden. You don't have permission to access this resource"
When I flip the archiving to "private", it works fine ... they become accessible via admin interface. Going back to the original setting (Public) makes the archives inaccessible again.
What could be wrong?
Regards Onyeibo
On Fri, 30 Oct 2020 13:22:37 +0100 "Onyeibo Oku" onyeibo@schemefusion.com wrote:
Hi Mark,
On Thu Oct 29, 2020 at 5:14 PM WAT, Mark Sapiro wrote:
On 10/29/20 3:00 AM, Onyeibo Oku wrote:
check_perms should make them right. The important thing is group permissions on files should be
rwand directoriesrwsand the group should be Mailman's group. If check_perms says things are OK and there are still permission errors, it is probably a SELinux or apparmor issue.Basically, the first step is to install Mailman and get it working on the new server. Once you have a working Mailman installation on the new server, for each list you want to move, create the /var/lib/mailman/LISTNAME directory on the new server and move the /var/lib/mailman/LISTNAME/config.pck file to it. That should be all you need to move the list. For archives, create the /var/lib/mailman/archives/private/LISTNAME.mbox directory and move the /var/lib/mailman/archives/private/LISTNAME.mbox/LISTNAME.mbox file. Then run
bin/arch --wipe LISTNAMEas the mailman user to rebuild the pipermail archive.It worked! It worked! Thank you so very much.
Regards Onyeibo
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On 10/30/20 6:37 AM, Onyeibo Oku wrote:
There is one unresolved List however.
One particular List has a public archive. All attempts to access the archive via the web gives me "403 Forbidden. You don't have permission to access this resource"
When I flip the archiving to "private", it works fine ... they become accessible via admin interface. Going back to the original setting (Public) makes the archives inaccessible again.
What could be wrong?
The /var/lib/mailman/archives/private/ directory is not searchable by the web server. It should be mode o+x, or if it is o-x, it must be owned by the web server user. See the warning box at https://www.list.org/mailman-install/node9.html.
-- Mark Sapiro mark@msapiro.net The highway is for gamblers, San Francisco Bay Area, California better use your sense - B. Dylan
Hi Mark,
This is now mostly resolved. Thank you.
I am observing a new phenomenon after the migration. Perhaps I should start a different thread for that.
Regards Onyeibo
On Fri, 30 Oct 2020 07:55:02 -0700 Mark Sapiro mark@msapiro.net wrote:
On 10/30/20 6:37 AM, Onyeibo Oku wrote:
There is one unresolved List however.
One particular List has a public archive. All attempts to access the archive via the web gives me "403 Forbidden. You don't have permission to access this resource"
When I flip the archiving to "private", it works fine ... they become accessible via admin interface. Going back to the original setting (Public) makes the archives inaccessible again.
What could be wrong?
The /var/lib/mailman/archives/private/ directory is not searchable by the web server. It should be mode o+x, or if it is o-x, it must be owned by the web server user. See the warning box at https://www.list.org/mailman-install/node9.html.
participants (2)
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Mark Sapiro -
Onyeibo Oku