separate mailman and web servers
Can someone explain to me how mailman and the web server can exist on separate machines? I am new to mailman and I'm having a hard time understanding how mailman communicates with its web server. I have a new client that connects to an external web server to add list members but mailman (and postfix) runs on a local system.
I see that in /usr/local/mailman/Mailman/mm_cfg.py mailman is pointed to this external web server with DEFAULT_URL_HOST.
Any pointers on how postfix fits into this communication are also appreciated. The online docs at list.org for Site Administrators do not explain much.
What my client appears to have is a simple diffusion setup. They use it as a means to send info to multiple people. So members do not contribute.
P
On 1/31/07, Peter Matulis <pmatulis@sympatico.ca> wrote:
Can someone explain to me how mailman and the web server can exist on separate machines? I am new to mailman and I'm having a hard time understanding how mailman communicates with its web server. I have a new client that connects to an external web server to add list members but mailman (and postfix) runs on a local system.
I believe this would have to work with Mailman acting upon and reading from files that are stored in such a way that the external web server can access them. This means:
(a) The files are stored on the Mailman server, and the web server accesses them through something like NFS. (b) The files are stored on the web server, and the mailman server accesses them through something like NFS. (c) The files are stored in a third server, and both the web server and the mailman server access them through something like NFS.
Any pointers on how postfix fits into this communication are also appreciated. The online docs at list.org for Site Administrators do not explain much. Postfix is used for receiving mail (which is then shunted to Mailman for processing, as appropriate), and for delivering mail (which is generated by Mailman, and sent by postfix to list recipients.) Imagine an arrangements with people: Mailman is responsible for accepting pieces of paper ("emails") and photocopying them. Postfix brings Mailman the papers initially, and carries the photocopies away.
What my client appears to have is a simple diffusion setup. They use it as a means to send info to multiple people. So members do not contribute. This is fairly standard, and referred to as an 'announce-only' list.
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- Patrick Bogen
Le Samedi 3 Février 2007 15:37, Patrick Bogen a écrit :
On 1/31/07, Peter Matulis <pmatulis@sympatico.ca> wrote:
Can someone explain to me how mailman and the web server can exist on separate machines? I am new to mailman and I'm having a hard time understanding how mailman communicates with its web server. I have a new client that connects to an external web server to add list members but mailman (and postfix) runs on a local system.
I believe this would have to work with Mailman acting upon and reading from files that are stored in such a way that the external web server can access them. This means:
(a) The files are stored on the Mailman server, and the web server accesses them through something like NFS. (b) The files are stored on the web server, and the mailman server accesses them through something like NFS. (c) The files are stored in a third server, and both the web server and the mailman server access them through something like NFS.
No, the web server is on the internet and the mailman server is on the lan.
PM
Peter wrote:
Le Samedi 3 Février 2007 15:37, Patrick Bogen a écrit :
On 1/31/07, Peter Matulis <pmatulis@sympatico.ca> wrote:
Can someone explain to me how mailman and the web server can exist on separate machines? I am new to mailman and I'm having a hard time understanding how mailman communicates with its web server. I have a new client that connects to an external web server to add list members but mailman (and postfix) runs on a local system. I believe this would have to work with Mailman acting upon and reading from files that are stored in such a way that the external web server can access them. This means:
(a) The files are stored on the Mailman server, and the web server accesses them through something like NFS. (b) The files are stored on the web server, and the mailman server accesses them through something like NFS. (c) The files are stored in a third server, and both the web server and the mailman server access them through something like NFS.
No, the web server is on the internet and the mailman server is on the lan.
I'm not sure how the fact that one machine is 'on the internet' and the other is 'on the lan' relates to Patrick's answer, so let's go back to your original question.
Mailman's web pages are built by CGIs which access basic Mailman classes, methods and functions defined in a set of Mailman modules. These classes, methods and functions access various Mailman data. Most of this is the list's configuration and membership which is normally a Mailman list object saved as a Python pickle in /some/path/to/lists/<listname>/config.pck.
Mailman's email processing is done by a set of qrunner processes accessing the same Modules and data as above. There is one (or possibly more) qrunner process for each queue - in, out, archive, commands, bounces, news, retry and virgin.
Incoming mail is normally piped by the incoming MTA to a wrapper which invokes a script to store the message in a queue to be processed by one of the qrunners.
If both the web pages and the lists are accessing and updating 'live' data, and the web server and the qrunners are not on the same machine, they must be accessing the same list data via some file sharing scheme. Normally, they would also access the same Mailman modules, but this isn't necessary.
If the web is used only for inquiry and not update, it could be operating on copies which are updated periodically, but if the web interface is used to make any changes, both it and the qrunners must access the same data and queues.
-- Mark Sapiro <msapiro@value.net> The highway is for gamblers, San Francisco Bay Area, California better use your sense - B. Dylan
Le Samedi 3 Février 2007 22:50, Mark Sapiro a écrit :
Peter wrote:
Le Samedi 3 Février 2007 15:37, Patrick Bogen a écrit :
On 1/31/07, Peter Matulis <pmatulis@sympatico.ca> wrote:
Can someone explain to me how mailman and the web server can exist on separate machines? I am new to mailman and I'm having a hard time understanding how mailman communicates with its web server. I have a new client that connects to an external web server to add list members but mailman (and postfix) runs on a local system.
I believe this would have to work with Mailman acting upon and reading from files that are stored in such a way that the external web server can access them. This means:
(a) The files are stored on the Mailman server, and the web server accesses them through something like NFS. (b) The files are stored on the web server, and the mailman server accesses them through something like NFS. (c) The files are stored in a third server, and both the web server and the mailman server access them through something like NFS.
No, the web server is on the internet and the mailman server is on the lan.
Thank you for this informative reply.
I'm not sure how the fact that one machine is 'on the internet' and the other is 'on the lan' relates to Patrick's answer, so let's go back to your original question.
Well he is mentioning NFS so it sounded like he presumed both servers were on the internal lan.
Mailman's web pages are built by CGIs which access basic Mailman classes, methods and functions defined in a set of Mailman modules. These classes, methods and functions access various Mailman data. Most of this is the list's configuration and membership which is normally a Mailman list object saved as a Python pickle in /some/path/to/lists/<listname>/config.pck.
Ok.
Mailman's email processing is done by a set of qrunner processes accessing the same Modules and data as above. There is one (or possibly more) qrunner process for each queue - in, out, archive, commands, bounces, news, retry and virgin.
Ok.
Incoming mail is normally piped by the incoming MTA to a wrapper which invokes a script to store the message in a queue to be processed by one of the qrunners.
Somehow Postfix on my lan must have this wrapper configured to talk to the Mailman also running on the localhost.
If both the web pages and the lists are accessing and updating 'live' data, and the web server and the qrunners are not on the same machine, they must be accessing the same list data via some file sharing scheme. Normally, they would also access the same Mailman modules, but this isn't necessary.
There must be some synchronization happening somewhere because changes are being made on the web server.
If the web is used only for inquiry and not update, it could be operating on copies which are updated periodically, but if the web interface is used to make any changes, both it and the qrunners must access the same data and queues.
The client has told me that they access the web server to make changes.
PM
Peter wrote:
Incoming mail is normally piped by the incoming MTA to a wrapper which invokes a script to store the message in a queue to be processed by one of the qrunners.
Somehow Postfix on my lan must have this wrapper configured to talk to the Mailman also running on the localhost.
Normally in this situation (Postfix and Mailman on the same machine), Postfix has a set of aliases for each list address that cause it to pipe the incoming list mail to Mailman's mail wrapper with the appropriate 'action' and listname arguments. Often, with Postfix, these aliases are in a file of Mailman aliases maintained by Mailman.
If both the web pages and the lists are accessing and updating 'live' data, and the web server and the qrunners are not on the same machine, they must be accessing the same list data via some file sharing scheme. Normally, they would also access the same Mailman modules, but this isn't necessary.
There must be some synchronization happening somewhere because changes are being made on the web server.
Yes, and normally, this is done through some kind of shared file system so both the web server and the Mailman's qrunners are actually accessing the same files.
-- Mark Sapiro <msapiro@value.net> The highway is for gamblers, San Francisco Bay Area, California better use your sense - B. Dylan
participants (4)
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Mark Sapiro -
Patrick Bogen -
Peter -
Peter Matulis