[Mailman-Users] Problem: HTML Admin Interface won't update member list -- at all

[Sean O'Neill]

I was hoping someone could help me with this problem.  I haven't completely
checked out how Mailman is working but this is one problem I've found and
can't figure it out.

- Ultra 2 running Apache Web Server
- Mailman v1.0b9

- Mailman repository lives in /home/mailman
- Everything in /home/mailman is setup for 'mailman' ownership and 'mailman'
group
- Everything has the group ID bit sit (i.e. rwxr-srx)
- Apache is running as 'nobody'

HTML admin interface works except when I try to update a mailing list
membership in the 'Membership Management' page.  I put in a couple of email
addresses and press the 'Submit Your Changes'.  For a while, the page would
come back immediately with password request screen to get into the
administration screen for the mailing list.  No one would be subscribed to
the list.

This morning I found that I must have changed something last night and
didn't realize it.  The config.db file in lists/my-test-list is now owned by
nobody and the subscriptions work correctly from the HTML admin interface.

I know this has something to do with the fact that apache is running as
nobody and the cgi-bin/admin binary is group set-ID'd.  Shouldn't the
cgi-bin/admin script change GID to mailman and allow the updates to
config.db when apache runs it?  Is there something in the apache setup that
I'm missing or something with my Mailman configuration that I'm missing?

I'm hoping to use Mailman as a replacement for our current completely manual
mailing list environment ... royal pain-in-the-backside.

Any help or thoughts appreciated.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Sean O'Neill
AppNet, Inc.
301-953-3330
soneill at cen.com
soneill at centurycomputing.com