[Mailman-Users] 2.1.18 internal documentation suggestions

Mark Sapiro mark at msapiro.net
Thu May 1 00:18:31 CEST 2014


On 04/30/2014 12:56 PM, Lindsay Haisley wrote:
> The internal documentation in the admin screens for 2.1.18 is a bit
> confusing with regard to Reply-To munging.
> 
> In the doc for the from_is_list option we have "It replaces the poster's
> address in the From: header with the list address and adds the poster to
> the Reply-To: header, but the anonymous_list and Reply-To: header
> munging settings below take priority."
> 
> Which Reply-To: header munging settings take priority, and how should
> one set them so that they don't override from_is_list?


If you set anonymous_list = Yes the post will be fully anonymized as
before which includes setting the From: to the list address. Thus,
setting anonymous_list = Yes obviates the need for From: header munging
because you're already doing it.

However, the statment "the anonymous_list and Reply-To: header munging
settings below take priority." is probably not correct. It comes from
2.1.16 which was a bit different with respect to Reply-To:.

In 2.1.18, with anonymous_list - Yes and from_is_list = No, From: will
be "List's description <list posting address>" and there will be no
Reply-To:. If from_is list is Munge (or Wrap) the (outer) From: will be
"List's description via list's real_name <list posting address>" and the
(outer) Reply-To will be "List's description <list posting address>"

So the from_is_list options add 'via real_name' to the From: and add a
redundant Reply-To: the list.

from_is_list interacts with first_strip_reply_to and reply_goes_to_list
in the way one intuitively expects. I.e. first_strip_reply_to and
reply_goes_to_list behave as always and from_is_list just adds the
posters From: to Reply-To: if it isn't there already (and in the case of
an anonymous list, the poster's From: has already been set to the list.

That text should probably be changed. I don't like to change strings
that have already been translated and this one was for 2.1.16 for a few
languages, but I should fix it.


> If dmarc_moderation_action overrides from_is_list, as the doc for it
> says it does, is it also overridden by Reply-To: header munging
> settings?


As I explained above, from_is_list works in all cases. And, the same is
true for dmarc_moderation_action if it applies.


> Also, in the doc for reply_goes_to_list, we see "When set to Poster [the
> default], no Reply-To: header is added by Mailman".  Does this mean that
> this overrides from_is_list, which if set says that it causes the
> original From header to be inserted into the Reply-To header?


No. The poster's address will be added to Reply-To: in all cases where
from_is_list or dmarc_moderation_action rewriting or wrapping is done.


> I can probably figure this out, but it might be good to explain this a
> bit more completely in the Mailman internal docs.  It's not really clear
> exactly how these options relate, and how the precedence of settings is
> organized.  These may be stupid questions, but I can just about
> guarantee you that all my list admins will trip on them :(


I hear you. It is badly explained and I need to fix it. Thanks for
raising this.

-- 
Mark Sapiro <mark at msapiro.net>        The highway is for gamblers,
San Francisco Bay Area, California    better use your sense - B. Dylan


More information about the Mailman-Users mailing list