[Mailman-Users] Unknown Virtual Host question

[Mark Sapiro]

On 01/19/2015 08:18 AM, Steve Matzura wrote:
> So, on the
> new machine, I'm trying to create email lists via the Web interface at
> my new machine's IP address. When I log in with the Mailman
> administrator account and password and attempt to create a new list, I
> get the message "unknown virtual host at x.x.x.x" where 'x.x.x.x' is
> the IP address of the new machine. Is this caused by the fact that my
> A-record points to the old machine, or because my new machine is
> trying to validate against the old one somehow?


Neither. It is because you are going the the create page via an
http:/x.x.x.x/... URL and Mailman is therefore trying to create the list
in the web domain x.x.x.x which is not in Mailman's VIRTUAL_HOSTS
dictionary, i.e. there is no add_virtualhost('x.x.x.x', ...) in mm_cfg.py.

This is explained in more detail in the FAQ at <http://wiki.list.org/x/lYA9>


> If I were to stop
> Mailman on the old system temporarily and swing my A-record over to
> the new machine, would this solve the problem long enough for me to
> get lists created? If so, then I might as well just do the deed for
> real, and get the old machine out of the equation completely. What's
> best to do here?


You could do what you suggest, or you can just create the lists with the
proper URL and email host names with bin/newlist on the new machine, but
neither of these is "the best".

The best is to stop Mailman on the old machine, move, copy, rsync,
whatever Mailman's lists/ and archives/private/ directories to the new
machine, start Mailman on the new machine and switch DNS. See the FAQ at
<http://wiki.list.org/x/2oA9> and the first couple of posts linked
therefrom.

It is not necessary to move archives/public/, but if you do, make sure
your process copies symlinks as symlinks. If you don't move them, they
will be automagically created. (This also avoids any issue with changing
paths and incorrect symlinks.

You will probably need to run Mailman's bin/check_perms on the new
machine to be sure, and depending on your MTA you may need to run
Mailman's bin/genaliases and possibly add aliases manually.

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