June 2001 - Smartlist - lists.rwth-aachen.de

Re:Trying to use file other than dist.
by KEVIN ZEMBOWER 19 Jun '01

19 Jun '01

I still think that what I want to do is not a great departure from what many folks might like a mailing list system to do. I have a input text box on a web page where viewers can fill in their email address if they want to be notified when the page changes. My simple perl script appends their email address to a flat file that has one email address per line. I'd like to be able to use this file of email addresses as the distribution list for SmartList. However, I'd like SmartList to handle the bounces. I'd also like to be able to have users subscribe and unsubscribe directly to the -request address. My perl script wouldn't "care" if another program, such as SmartList, were also adding and deleting lines. I didn't realize that this was asking a lot. The dist file and my flat file are in the same format. I can give the flat file any permissions it needs. To make my simple "append this email address to the file" perl script into a full-functioned emailer is more programming than I want. Do other folks use SmartList to handle a task like this, or is there some other solution that is better suited? Thanks for your suggestions. -Kevin Zembower ----- E. Kevin Zembower Unix Administrator Johns Hopkins University/Center for Communications Programs 111 Market Place, Suite 310 Baltimore, MD 21202 410-659-6139 >>> Charlie Summers <charlie(a)lofcom.com> 06/18/01 02:25PM >>> At 12:01 PM -0400 6/18/01, KEVIN ZEMBOWER is rumored to have typed: > It is with great trepidation that I send this message to the list again. >Does no one use SmartList in the way that I want to? I'd seriously doubt it, since you say you are not _using_ SmartList to manage your dist file, and yet you seem to want SmartList to handle your bounces. Doesn't make a lick of sense to me at all, which is why I think you're unlikely to get much help - kinda oxymoronic, eh? > I'm trying to do something unorthodox with SmartList. My distribution list >is kept in a flat file by another program that I have to continue to use. Then I'd suggest you redirect any bounce messages off to the program that is managing the "flat file" and write your own routines in the "flat file" manager (I am assuming you're refering to a flat-file database manager, but I could be wrong, and frankly it doesn't much matter) to handle the bounces. Either SmartList manages the distribution list, or your "flat file" program does. Seems to me that having both thumbs in the pie is a recipe for disaster...and trying to get SmartList to handle bounces when you admit it _doesn't_ manage the dist file is just silly. Charlie _______________________________________________ Smartlist mailing list Smartlist(a)lists.RWTH-Aachen.DE http://MailMan.RWTH-Aachen.DE/mailman/listinfo/smartlist

6 6

Recive the latest mails on the list when subscribe
by David Oliveras 19 Jun '01

19 Jun '01

I want that my new subscribers, at teh time they subscribe, recive the latest messages sent to the list, but I don't know how to make it. I use de subscribe.files file but is not exactly what I want Thanks

1 0

Re: Where are docs on bounce handling?
by KEVIN ZEMBOWER 18 Jun '01

18 Jun '01

Philip, thank you for taking the time to explain to me the workings of the bounce system in SmartList. This will give me a good start in looking through the scripts. Thanks, again. -Kevin Zembower >>> Philip Guenther <guenther(a)gac.edu> 06/18/01 02:52PM >>> "KEVIN ZEMBOWER" <KZEMBOWER(a)jhuccp.org> writes: >I must have missed this somewhere in my reading about SmarList. Could >someone tell me where to find the documentation on how SmartList handles >email that bounces because of incorrect email addresses, full mailboxes, >etc. I'm looking for something more than the schematic overview in >section 3m of the Manual. The handling of bounces is split between the rc.request rcfile and the procbounce script. The rc.request rcfile ignores bounce messages that look non-fatal (e.g., delay warnings) or that appear to be rejections of a message's _contents_ instead of a bad address (e.g., "eight bit data not allowed"). The rc.request script also sets a flag if the message looks like a DSN (Delivery Status Notification, see rfcs 1892 and 1894). It then hands off bounces to the procbounce script. The procbounce script attempts to extract the bad address from the bounce message. If it comes up with an address, it then tries to generate a hash based on the Message-Id: of the message that _bounced_ (i.e., the message from the list that was rejected), falling back the the current date if can't determine the original Message-Id:. That value is used to name a file, into which procbounce stores the bad address. Having done that, it counts how many such files contain the bad address. If at least $minbounce files contain that address, procbounce tries to unsubscribe it. The purpose of the hash of the Message-Id: is to work around (broken) systems that can send multiple bounce messages regarding a single message/address combo. All those bounces will hopefully contain the original message's Message-Id: header field in them, so that the address will only be stored into a single file and thereby only counted once against $minbounce. Philip Guenther _______________________________________________ Smartlist mailing list Smartlist(a)lists.RWTH-Aachen.DE http://MailMan.RWTH-Aachen.DE/mailman/listinfo/smartlist

1 0

Where are docs on bounce handling?
by KEVIN ZEMBOWER 18 Jun '01

18 Jun '01

I must have missed this somewhere in my reading about SmarList. Could someone tell me where to find the documentation on how SmartList handles email that bounces because of incorrect email addresses, full mailboxes, etc. I'm looking for something more than the schematic overview in section 3m of the Manual. Thanks for your help pointing this out. -Kevin Zembower ----- E. Kevin Zembower Unix Administrator Johns Hopkins University/Center for Communications Programs 111 Market Place, Suite 310 Baltimore, MD 21202 410-659-6139

2 1

Trying to use file other than dist.
by KEVIN ZEMBOWER 18 Jun '01

18 Jun '01

It is with great trepidation that I send this message to the list again. Does no one use SmartList in the way that I want to? -Kevin Zembower I'm trying to do something unorthodox with SmartList. My distribution list is kept in a flat file by another program that I have to continue to use. However, the format is exactly the same as the format of dist, with the exception that there's no "Only names below this line can be automatically deleted." Unfortunately, that means that none of the addresses can be automatically unsubscribed. What I've tried to do was to unlink dist and accept, delete dist and replace it in the directory with either a soft- or hard-link to the other file. This seems to work with subscribing, but says that the name can't be found to unsubscribe automatically. Is there a way to turn off this feature, so that if the line is missing, ALL addresses in the file can be automatically unsubscribed? Or, if this is not possible, is there another work-around that allows me to use the other file in place of dist? Thanks for your thoughts and suggestions on my problem. -Kevin Zembower ----- E. Kevin Zembower Unix Administrator Johns Hopkins University/Center for Communications Programs 111 Market Place, Suite 310 Baltimore, MD 21202 410-659-6139

3 2

Latest mails to new subscribers
by David Oliveras 18 Jun '01

18 Jun '01

Hello, how can I make the new subscribers to recive the latests mails to the list? Thanks, ____________________________________________________________ David Oliveras Webmaster MadTeam.net -[MadTeam, bojos per la muntanya ]- david(a)madteam.net - www.madteam.net

1 0

Workaround for Broken Mail Client Responses
by Cari D. Burstein 16 Jun '01

16 Jun '01

I run a list where the vast majority of the users are using a broken mail client which for some reason uses the Return-Path address instead of the Reply To or From address when responding to the mailing list. These users can't change their mail client and I need to find a workaround to deal with it. Basically the list members are replying to the list at the -request address. I need to find some way to allow messages sent to that address to be cleaned of bounces (one of the main reasons I switched to Smartlist is for bounce cleaning) and send the valid messages back to the list at the correct address. The mailing list is moderated, so if a few bad messages end up going back to the list that's fine, we can not approve those, but I need all the valid messages to go back to the list. Any ideas how best to accomplish this? I'm not very procmail savvy and I'm not quite sure exactly what checks the -request list goes through before sending it to the owner, and where is the best place to change the address so it doesn't go to owner. Thanks for your help! -Cari D. Burstein cdaveb(a)anybrowser.org |Ye have enemies? Good, good- that means ye've stood up for | | something, sometime in thy life.... -Elminster of Shadowdale | |---------------------------------------------------------------| | Cari D. Burstein cdaveb(a)anybrowser.org | | http://www.anybrowser.org/cdaveb/ |

3 3

Re: moderated testnet: HELP!
by David Bovill 15 Jun '01

15 Jun '01

Sorry can't really help, as I haven't creates a moderated list myself yet! Sounds as if the software is directing emails to the moderator before it get's to the xxx.20 lines allowing them to be processed by the recipe for adding footer/headers. This is sort of reasonable under the assumption that the moderator would be in a position to add these themselves. As for the "accept" file this is the file that lists those who are allowed to mail to the list - usually this is the same as the "dist" file, and the software seems to keep these linked (even if you manually add to one of them it is reflected in the other?) Still you could try manually adding your email address to the accept file, and see if this allows you to post? Sorry I can't be of more help, but I really don't know much more myself -:( > Date: Thu, 14 Jun 2001 13:56:10 -0700 > Subject: moderated testnet: HELP! > > Dear David, > Sorry to keep bothering you, but you made the mistake of answering our first > plea for help--and got it right! > > NOW, I am trying to make a moderated list, and am having these problems: > 1) when I uncomment "moderated list" I lose my header and footer; > 2) when the list is moderated, I (as the test moderater) get all of the > emails, but I am unable to send them on to the other list members, they only > come back to me (as the moderator). > > Here is the text of the message that my colleague sent to the smartlist > mailing list, that describes the steps we have already taken: > "I have followed the instructions in the manual: > (http://www.hartzler.net/smartlist/Manual.html#3f) created a "moderators" > file containing the qualified email addresses of all moderators, > uncommented the "moderated_flag" line in rc.custom, and added a > header that reads "Approved: wendy(a)company.org" > > To try to figure out what was going on, I re-commented the "moderated_flag" > line in rc.custom. Then, when a listmember posts a message to the list, the > message is successfully sent to everyone on the list with the header and > footer visible. > > I've read through the archives and I can't seem to come up with a solution. > Someone with a similar problem mentioned that it might be necessary to > create an "accept" file --if this is the case, can you point me in the right > direction toward info on how to do this?" > > Once again, sorry to pester you, but I am at my wit's end! I hope that you > will be able to help me with this... > > Regards, and many thanks for your time, effort and expertise. I'll get the hang of it one day :)

1 0

Re: Workaround for Broken Mail Client Responses
by Miquel E. Cabanas 14 Jun '01

14 Jun '01

hi, Zitiere "Cari D. Burstein" <cdaveb(a)csua.berkeley.edu>: > > I run a list where the vast majority of the users are using > a broken mail client which for some reason uses the Return-Path > address instead of the Reply To or From address when responding > to the mailing list. in rc.init.dist the sendmail command line is defined as sendmailOPT="-oem -odb -oi -om -f$listreq" which according to sendmail(8) -fname Sets the name of the ``from'' person (i.e., the sender of the mail). -f can only be used by ``trusted'' users (normally root, daemon, and network) or if the person you are trying to become is the same as the person you are. (in a correct installation, slist is a trusted user). Maybe you could try replacing $listreq with i.e. $listaddr, though I suspect this could break other smartlist functionalities. Miquel -- Miquel E Cabanas ------------------------------------------------------ SeRMN, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona (Miquel.Cabanas(a)uab.es) ------------------------------------------o-oo--ooo---ooo--oo-o--------

1 0

(newbie question) moderated list creation
by Wendy Sinek 14 Jun '01

14 Jun '01

Hi, This is my first attempt at setting up a moderated list ( named "testlist"). I have followed the instructions in the manual: (http://www.hartzler.net/smartlist/Manual.html#3f) created a "moderators" file containing the qualified email addresses of all moderators, uncommented the "moderated_flag" line in rc.custom, and added a header that reads "Approved: wendy(a)company.org" When a listmember posts a message to testlist(a)company.org, it successfully comes only to me as the moderator. However, when I try to send the message out to the entire list, the message just comes back to me, and reaches no one else. Moreover, at no time is the header and footer of the message visible to anyone. To try to figure out what was going on, I re-commented the "moderated_flag" line in rc.custom. Then, when a listmember posts a message to testlist(a)company.org, the message is successfully sent to everyone on the list with the header and footer visible. I've read through the archives and I can't seem to come up with a solution. Someone with a similar problem mentioned that it might be necessary to create an "accept" file --if this is the case, can you point me in the right direction toward info on how to do this? Any and all help and suggestions will be greatly appreciated! Wendy

1 0