[Mailman-Users] sudden "group mismatch error"

[Brad Knowles]

At 2:32 PM -0400 2004-09-02, Ben Byrne wrote:

>  I've been running Mailman happily on our server (mac os x server on an
>  xserve) for months. But suddenly today things have gone awry.

	Is this Mailman as provided by Apple with MacOS X Server?  If so, 
then you need to take another look at 
<http://www.python.org/cgi-bin/faqw-mm.py?req=show&file=faq01.021.htp>.

	Specifically, the stuff at the bottom about Mailman on MacOS X Server.

>  Specifically, I'm now getting this error when I try to post to a list:
>
>     ----- The following addresses had permanent fatal errors -----
>  "|/usr/local/mailman/mail/mailman post staff"
>      (reason: 2)
>      (expanded from: <staff at freepress.net>)
>
>     ----- Transcript of session follows -----
>  Group mismatch error.  Mailman expected the mail
>  wrapper script to be executed as group "mailman", but
>  the system's mail server executed the mail script as
>  group "daemon".  Try tweaking the mail server to run the
>  script as group "mailman", or re-run configure,
>  providing the command line option `--with-mail-gid=daemon'.

	The standard answer to this question is at 
<http://www.python.org/cgi-bin/faqw-mm.py?req=show&file=faq01.004.htp>.

	Unfortunately, the standard answer tells you to reinstall Mailman 
with the right group, which you can't do because Apple didn't give 
you the source code to the version they shipped.  Moreover, they 
created their own proprietary admin interface, so you can't upgrade 
the version of Mailman you're running unless you completely rip out 
everything Apple gave you with regards to Mailman under MacOS X 
Server and install your own copy that is based directly on our source 
code.

>  Like I said, I've been running mailman for several months without problems,
>  and am very surprised to get this message. Yesterday I made a minor change
>  to our sendmail configuration (activated a feature), so I'm wondering if
>  something hasn't changed in sendmail?

	It's hard to say.  Apple ships that as a closed black box, so 
virtually everything under the hood is hidden from view, even from 
those people who would otherwise know what they're doing.

>  Any help would be appreciated, I've got several live, active lists that
>  are down as a result of this (!)

	With MacOS X Server, about the only thing we can recommend is 
that you contact Apple to find out how to fix what they've shipped.


	I've recently gotten some more contacts inside Apple and I'm 
trying to get contacts with the team that is responsible for creating 
MacOS X Server.  So far, I'm not having any luck.

-- 
Brad Knowles, <brad at stop.mail-abuse.org>

"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little
temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."

     -- Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790), reply of the Pennsylvania
     Assembly to the Governor, November 11, 1755

   SAGE member since 1995.  See <http://www.sage.org/> for more info.