[Mailman-Users] Test mesages

[Stephen J. Turnbull]

LuKreme writes:

 > Setting up a test list is an idea, but I have had situations where
 > a one list didn't work (specifically a list on a virtual host)

That means your test list wasn't properly configured.  If you have a
problem with a list on a virtual host, you need a test list on that
virtual host.  The problem with that approach *now* is that it's hard
to clone a specific list, so people use "test list per Mailman
istallation", with the result you observed.  What I have in mind is a
screen that the site manager or list owner can use:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Clone list

List to clone: _______________________
Name (mailbox) of new list: __________
Initial members of new list: _____________________________________
                             [Browse for file to upload]
[Create list]
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Of course this would copy any virtual host information as well for the
ML and web interface URLs.

 > A test list is great for testing mailman, but it doesn't test a  
 > specific list except the test list.

The only way to test a specific list is to send a message to it.  If
you special-case test messages, then by definition it's a special
case, and you will often need to test that the special case actually
is representative of normal operation.  The special case code is also
very likely to be buggy, precisely because it's a completely abnormal
situation and will rarely get exercised.

 > Neither. I think the best way to do this would be to have a list-ping  
 > email address where all it does is send you back your message as if it  
 > had been posted to the entire list, but sent only to you. That is,  
 > with footers attached, attachments, scraped, subject changed, etc.

All of that is irrelevant to the kind of problem you say you need to
diagnose though, while you've completely changed the handling of the
message in possibly relevant areas.  Heck, you're not even sending it
to the list, you're sending it to list-ping!