August 2000 - Smartlist - lists.rwth-aachen.de

Re: does anyone find it ironic that smartlist mailing list is using Mailman?
by Charlie Summers 19 Jul '18

19 Jul '18

At 11:41 AM -0400 7/28/00, Werner Reisberger is rumored to have typed: > I never saw any > admin reply to the numerous complains about spam messages. Actually, that's not _strictly_ true, since I remember when Stephen was actually maintaining the list (and probably anally have archives of the list from that time somewhere on some floppy or MO cart from a long time ago and far far away). But you're right, it's been _years_ since he's been around. However, the list belongs to the maintainer (or at least the machine's admin), not the members. You'll get no argument from me that the list should be moved (I believe I said exactly that a couple of times), but to suggest the admins need to take a poll to ask what they may or may not do with the existing list is silly, to say the least. They are certainly able to move this list to mailman without the list subscriber's permission - indeed, they _have_ done so, which makes my point for me. Whether we should move this list to a SmartList server is a completely seperate issue...one which Philip should probably weigh in on, since he is now maintaining the procmail/SmartList source and as such the de facto head of our band of merry wanderers... Charlie

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Re: smartlist questions
by roy＠service4you.net 30 Aug '00

30 Aug '00

This is meant as an observation, and not fuel to start a flame war. My access to the use of smartlist is through the company hosting one of my domains. They have a version of smartlist available for use by the domains they host, however don't allow telnet access, and rely on other (usually outdated or extinct) site's FAQs for information and support. My domain file access is through ftp, and to my knowledge, there is no way to access "." files through it. If you can't access .etc there is no way to read the manual, therefore, people may need to rely on reading one of the web accessible manuals on the server of someone else. One of the most frustrating things I have noticed in this, is the fact that these manuals are geared for the version their server carries, and could very well be the earliest versions released, if it suits their purpose. Maybe it is just my system configuration, but every time I attempt to download the manual from the address: ftp://ftp.pure.ch/pub/smartlist/SmartList-Manual, as noted in the FAQ, I get a "File Not Found" error. I have all the different FAQs noted, however, haven't been able to find a manual for SmartList dated later than 1993. Was that when development stopped? Is there a URL where the manual noted above can be read online or possibly downloaded as webpages for those who are unable to ftp download it? I started on the 'net when it was strictly for scientific or research purposes, and only available to major universities, governmental entities, or worldwide scientific organizations, years before Kermit was developed as a "cutting-edge" technological breakthrough. Times have changed, and I would hazard a guess that there are some on this list who have never heard of Kermit, let alone used it. There is a whole new generation of SmartList users out there who don't own the server they are using, or have full access to all the files ProcMail/SmartList uses. It is these users that will make or break whether SmartList is used by providers who could offer feedback, or if the maintenance and development of it becomes a part-time hobby for a few select individuals. Maybe what's needed is a "GUI" so to speak for new users, that would allow those with limited access/knowledge to learn, and go deeper as things make more sense. Anybody still using CPM as an operating system? Anybody considered a "Newbie" list where the same topics could be discussed ad-nauseam without disturbing the "Pros"? Just a thought. Roy

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Which version of procmail should I get
by Akop Pogosian 30 Aug '00

30 Aug '00

Smartlist README says that smartlist files have to be unpacked in the procmail source directory. The latest procmail version is 3.15 and the latest smartlist version is 3.13. Smartlist untars into procmail-3.13 directory while procmail upacks into 3.15 directory. My question is, which version of procmail should I get to make sure it is compatible with the latest smartlist? I would like to use the latest procmail version if possible. Thanks. Akop

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footer.txt - Can it do variable interpolation? (fwd)
by Patrick Salsbury 30 Aug '00

30 Aug '00

Never did get an answer to this one. Any ideas, anyone? Pat ___________________Think For Yourself____________________ Patrick G. Salsbury - http://reality.sculptors.com/~salsbury/ Trying to figure out what to do with all that spent uranium? :-) Join the uranium-hot-rock mailing list! See http://reality.sculptors.com/lists.html --------------------------------------------------------- The only smart thing to do is to get smarter. -- Timothy Leary, The Intelligence Agents ------- Forwarded Message Date: Tue, 08 Aug 2000 17:41:13 -0700 From: Patrick Salsbury <salsbury(a)sculptors.com> To: Dan Craioveanu <dancr(a)bratca.com> cc: SmartList Discussion List <SmartList(a)informatik.rwth-aachen.de> Subject: footer.txt - Can it do variable interpolation? This is a similar, but different issue to the one below. I've looked through the FAQ, and the archives of the list that I've still got around (400+ messages), but don't see an answer: Is there a way of interpolating variables within the header.txt or footer.txt files, so that I could use a generic footer.txt for numerous lists? So the file may say: To unsubscribe, mail to '$list@$domain' with subject 'unsubscribe' And I'd like $list and $domain to be expanded out per list. (I run about 2 dozen lists, so it'd be nice to just use one file.) Has anyone done this? FAQ #2.11 seems like something in the right direction. Would I have to build the file out of rc.local.s20 every time there was a submission, though? That seems wasteful. Pat On Tue, Apr 11, 2000 at 08:45:54PM +0300, Dan Craioveanu wrote: > I have tried the Solution in the SmartList FAQ. But, still, there's no > message appearing eather as a header or footer. > > I have created a file called header.txt and one called footer.txt with the > text to add to the message. > > I've uncommented the line "RC_LOCAL_SUBMIT_20 = rc.local.s20" from my > rc.custom file, and added the following to my rc.local.s20 file: > > # > # Adding a disclaimer in front of every mail: > # > > :0 fhw > | cat - header.txt > > # > # Appending a footer to every outgoing mail: > # > > :0 fbw > | cat - footer.txt > > > I have even tried all the other solutions in the Smart List mailing list > archive, but with no result. > > Please help, > > Thanks > - -- Pat ___________________Think For Yourself____________________ Patrick G. Salsbury - http://reality.sculptors.com/~salsbury/ Fuel Cells: Electricity for home, car, or business. 0% emmissions, 0% charge-time. - http://reality.sculptors.com/~salsbury/Fuel-Cells/ --------------------------------------------------------- Do you value your privacy? If so, take note of what's coming down the pipe: The United States Government should encourage the development of those products that would provide a capability allowing law enforcement (Federal, State, and local), with a court order only, to gain timely access to the plaintext of either stored data or data in transit. Unless law enforcement has the benefit of such market encouragement, drug traffickers, spies, child pornographers, pedophiles, kidnappers, terrorists, mobsters, weapons proliferators, fraud schemers, and other criminals will be able to use encryption software to protect their criminal activity and hinder the criminal justice system. 106th CONGRESS - 1st Session HR2616 - Section 3 (Para. 14-15) July 27, 1999 - http://thomas.loc.gov/ _______________________________________________ Smartlist mailing list Smartlist(a)lists.RWTH-Aachen.DE http://MailMan.RWTH-Aachen.DE/mailman/listinfo/smartlist ------- End of Forwarded Message

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Red-faced, I apologize.
by roy＠service4you.net 30 Aug '00

30 Aug '00

I am truly sorry for my outburst, the responses have shown me just how lazy I have become. I have gotten a shell account I intend to use for experimentation, and will get back to basics in relearning how to work with Unix without all the... in my own words... "GUI's". I had tried using an -al file mask once, a while ago, and it was blocked, if I hadn't given up, and tried it again I would have realized it was no longer blocked, and I can at least *read* the "." files (including to my embarrassment... the manual). Again, sorry for acting the way I did. Roy

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Re: smartlist questions (long, opinionated)
by Charlie Summers 30 Aug '00

30 Aug '00

At 7:45 PM -0400 8/29/00, Ron Miller is rumored to have typed: > And don't let everyone get to you too much, I just figured it out for myself > not too long ago after asking the same question for another reason and > getting no help either. Now that's interesting; I found a question from you on 21 August (subjected "Assistance" - real descriptive, that), and _answers_ to you, on a completely different issue - had to do with changing the subscribe message. Both Rich and Francois answered you giving you good and valid information...I would count this as "help," although apparently you wouldn't. Perhaps you just didn't get the answer you _wanted._ > We don't all have the superior knowledge some seem > to. If you're willing to learn, I'm willing to teach you for nothing. If you want me to do your work _for_ you because you don't have time to learn, you will pay me. It's as simple as that. Ask around...I have had long off-list teaching sessions with a bunch of people on here. I have also completely ignored questions where it's obvious the person asking never bothered to even read the installation files; perhaps that's why I didn't answer you when Rich and Francois did. > They seem to forget they had to learn somehow as well and asking a > question is not necessarily being lazy some are just trying to learn. I learned most of what I know about SmartList by 1) reading the postings in this list, 2) reading the code in the package, and 3) experimentation...not necessarily in that order of inportance, since experimentation is the most important of all, but should almost always come chronologically _after_ the other two. If you check the archives, you'll find I've asked few questions over the years, and when I did only _after_ I attempted to deal with the problem on my own through experimentation. I ain't perfect, but I expect as much (more) from myself as I expect from everyone else. So like the old saying goes, "don't teach your grandmother how to suck eggs." And on a personal note, PLEASE learn how to use your email client software to edit your quotations when you post to a mailing list; just because this list doesn't reject on over-quoting, that doesn't mean it's a good idea to simply include my entire letter for no good reason in your reply. (Especially when you send me personally two seperate copies, as well as including one copy to the list.) Charlie

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Re: smartlist questions (long, opinionated)
by Ron Miller 30 Aug '00

30 Aug '00

That is why I had the same questions if you read my old question again. I could not see (.) type files and did not know how but like you said I figured it out for myself. And "assistance" was just the subject line , would you rather I write my whole problem in the subject line? I just feel you were being a bit hard on the guy. If you did not want to help you could simply not reply to his question. We do not all know the installation files exist. Like the last guy smart list came with my hosting package with very little information just the basic FAQS. Which by the way are the same on every site that list them, I did spend alot of time searching for the answer before asking the question. When someone asked a question you deem to be silly just realize they probably just don't know since it comes with a hosting package. You must realize that people that do not know the problem cannot ask the proper question, which I failed to do myself which is why I did not get the right answer but it is frustrating enough without someone bugging you about asking for help. You are right though I shouldn't have said I didn't receive help, some were good enough to try and answer my question. I just get tired of people like you whining about helping people when it was to a list which you opted in to and can opt out of anytime. Anyways, have patience or ignore their request for help if you don't want to be bothered. Just because it may seem like common sense to you doesn't mean it is for everyone. It only seem simple when you already know it. Always, Ron Miller millerinc.com lolgreetings.com

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smartlist questions
by Rick May 30 Aug '00

30 Aug '00

Hello, I am new here and to smartlist, please excuse the newbie questions. I just signed on with a new provider that has SmartList installed. Unfortunately they provide no technical support with the list software, and the FAQ isnt quite clear to me. I hope someone can answer my few questions. I am trying to customize the rc.custom file. But it doesnt seem to be doing anything when done. Specifically I am trying to change the reply-to to go back to the list, instead of the individual. No matter what I try, it doesnt seem to work. Ive uncommented the line and tried using reply_to = "Reply-To: $listaddr" And it doesnt seem to do anything. Ive changed both the rc.custom file, the rc.init file and nothing seems to be changing. (Im under the impression rc.custom is supposed to override the rc.init file per list. But since I have only one list at the moment, I figured I could try and change both..) ?? I also noticed there are two directories where my mailing list is located. One is called "mailinglist" and the other is "mailinglist-d". What is the difference? I should note that I dont have the ability to telnet in and use utilities like "delink". Is this important since I am only creating one mailing list at this time? Thank you Rick

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Sub and Unsub problems
by Bill Platt 28 Aug '00

28 Aug '00

Hello All, I have spent most of the night trying to troubleshoot a server with Smartlist installed. Everything seems to work as it is supposed to, as I have dealt with Smartlist previously. However, there is one feature that does not seem to be working the way it was intended. When you submit a new subscription via the website, all is well. When you submit a new subscription via email, the copy comes on through to the maintainer, and the email is logged in the Log file, however, the email address never gets added to the Dist list. I have gone through the rc. files, all of them and compared them also to the original rc. files from another server all together. Every single dotted I and crossed T seems to be in place. I do not know where to turn next. Does anyone have any sugestions? Bill Platt mailto:admin@WindstormComputing.com

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(smartlist) cal.alumni -exec permissions for sendmail.-
by magician＠tejinashi.opalnetworks.com 28 Aug '00

28 Aug '00

Hi everyone, I hope that someone might have time to answer a probably quick question. I read the entire faq and didnt see anything in there. Well here goes. here's the error message that I'm getting. ----- The following addresses had permanent fatal errors ----- "|exec /home/list/.bin/flist jackl-test" (expanded from: <jackl-test(a)sum.alumni.somwhere.edu>) ----- Transcript of session follows ----- sh: exec not available for sendmail programs 554 "|exec /home/list/.bin/flist jackl-test"... Service unavailable

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