[Mailman-Users] Configuration under EXIM and Debian v2.0

[Peter Gervai]

Hello,

Browsing the list revealed that no real how-to is present on using mailman
with exim and/or debian. There is actually a deb package for sendmail, but
it won't work for exim.

I tried to install it and it works, more-or-less. I'd like to share that
what I've done and raise some still not resolved questions.

I'd like to comment that trying beta4 made python process to start allocating
all available virtual memory (and beyond), rendering the machine unusable...
I'm sure it was because some mistakes on my part but maybe it's possible to
stop wild allocations caused by bad permissions, illegal mail headers, etc.

Reinstalled beta5 from scratch and now it works. Either the bug got fixed,
or I made config right this time, or most probably pure magic.

My most important question: please anyone tell me which files, directories
must have different permissions from chown mailman.mailman and 0775 (dir)
or 664 (file)! I suspect log/ and files inside, and list/ maybe with its
full content, but I don't know all possible files, and maybe missed some,
and I have to KNOW it and not to guess, which gets used (needs to be
written) as "mailman", which as "www-data", and which as both (probably
requires some common groups then). This is my most important problem.

The other is some actual minor one: mailman web interface cannot unlock
a list, when a user want to enter her options webpage:
Error at Cgi/subscribe.py line 65 - Unlock...
Probably permission problem but I can't figure it out. Remember, 
I don't speak Python AT ALL. TIA.

Okay, thats about questions. Here's the "debian+exim install manual" v0.01

-----------------------------8<-------------------------------

Installing MailMan (1.0b5) on Debian GNU/Linux v2.0 + Exim
  by gervai 'grin' peter <grin at tolna.net>, v0.01 98/10/14

Install python-base, python-net.

Install mailman user and group. I advise you to use
'lists' user and group id. (You can play and compile the whole
stuff to lists.lists, probably not a big speciality, but
I'm in kind of hurry. And a bit easier for me...)

Compile very carefully to use correct mailman uid for
the mail, and www-data uid for the cgi programs.
(I have put stuff into /var/lib/mailman, but hardcore
Debian file system standard gods may tell me otherwise. YMMW.)

./configure --prefix=/var/lib/mailman --with-mail-gid='mailman' \
  --with-cgi-gid='www-data'
  
Compile. Install.

After installed, the following modifications were installed:

- Fix up directory permissions, enable logging (even after that 
  I ain't sure whether all logging will be allright...)
  chgrp lists /var/lib/mailman/* 
  chmod 775 /var/lib/mailman/*
  chmod 3777 /var/lib/mailman/{logs,locks}
  
- Enable web configuration interface
  chown www-data /var/lib/mailman/lists -R

- Enable scripts for running them from the pipe transport later
  chmod +x /var/lib/mailman/scripts/{post,mail}*

- Base Exim setup for lists. We create a separate alias file for the lists
  in /etc/mailman/aliases, and we insert lists there. We run everything 
  uid,gid=mailman. Insert into /etc/exim.conf:
  
   into TRANSPORTS (place isn't important)
       mailman_pipe:
           driver = pipe;
           current_directory = /var/lib/mailman

   into DIRECTORS (immediately after system_aliases: section)
       mailman_list:
           driver = aliasfile;
           file = /etc/mailman/aliases
           search_type = lsearch
           user = mailman
           group = mailman
           pipe_transport = mailman_pipe
						   
- Create a list as usual. 'su - www-data' before creating...
  When creating, newlist tells you what to insert.
  Twist it a little, such as:
  test:			"|/var/lib/mailman/scripts/post test"
  test-admin:		"|/var/lib/mailman/scripts/mailowner test"
  test-request:		"|/var/lib/mailman/scripts/mailcmd test"
  the other two alias is just okay.
  
  Insert this stuff into /etc/mailman/aliases, then press ENTER to get
  the administrative mail about the new list.

- Several file gets created uid.gid I don't like, and had to fix 
  afterwards. I can't python, so anyone see the light can help me...
  or us.
  - /var/lib/mailman/logs/*   (esp: error and subscribe)
    chown them to www-data or touch/chown them beforehand.
    
------------------------------->8----------------------------

All comments are welcome, of course. If I made a mistake by
list netiquette, just correct me. MOst of the time I'm in
hurry so writing's first, thinking's afterwards. :-))

regards,
grin
(grin at tolna.net)