In the sections below, items in brackets ([]) are optional. If you include the optional item, don't type the brackets.
A line that starts with a dash (-) is also treated as an "end" command by newer versions of Majordomo. Because many peoples' mail message signatures start with some dashes, this avoids error messages.
Majordomo has "open" and "closed" lists. A subscriber to an open list will be approved automatically unless they specify an "address" different from the one in their e-mail header. All subscriptions to closed lists will be sent to the list owner for approval.
If you'd like a list with the absolute minimum of maintenance (but also a minimum of security), you could create an "auto" list. All subscription or unsubscription requests will be honored without any input from the list owner. For example, anyone could unsubscribe anyone else.
Majordomo also has "public" and "private" lists. In a public list, subscribers have access to information about other subscribers through the "who" and "which" commands; in a private list, they don't. When a list is private, only subscribers can use the archive commands "index" and "get".
The owner can potentially receive four types of messages: requests to approve subscriptions (or unsubscriptions), requests to approve messages to the list, notifications of successful subscriptions or unsubscriptions, and bounces (messages sent to the list that weren't delivered). Which of these the owner receives, and how many, depends on the setup of the list (and of course, how many members the list has). Majordomo provides the "approve" script to help handle approval of subscriptions and messages, and "bounce" to help handle bounces.
When mail (a subscription, unsubscription, or an article intended for a moderated list) needs approval, majordomo sends the message to the list owner(s). Any list owner (and in fact, anyone who knows the list password) can send an approval message back to Majordomo to approve the request.
A "list owner" is the person (or people) listed on the "listname-approval" alias in your system aliases file. (For sendmail, that filename is usually /usr/lib/aliases or /etc/aliases.)
Note that Majordomo lets you put different people on the "listname-approval" and "listname-owner" aliases. If you split those duties between two different people, keep that in mind as you read the sections below. I've assumed that all list messages needing action go to a single "list owner."
The list owner doesn't even need to be on a UNIX system, although majordomo comes with some UNIX scripts that make life easier for the list owner.
approve !BooM! subscribe donut-makers Bob Bakerapprove !BooM! unsubscribe donut-makers john.dough@bakers.org
Majordomo version 1.90, which should be out by the time this book is printed, has a few new commands for list owners: (Thanks to John Rouillard for this summary.)
newconfig list password ...config file contents here... EOFThe "newconfig" command installs a new configuration file for "list". After you type the "newconfig" command, the rest of the mail message should be a copy of the new configuration file.
For example, the system postmaster at a bakery might want to set up a list exploder (see Chapter 2) for the "donut-makers" mailing list. She adds an exploder named donut-makers-dist@yummybake.com and sends this mail to the Majordomo server:
From: postmaster@yummybake.com To: majordomo@bakers.org subscribe donut-makers donut-makers-dist@yummybake.comWhen Majordomo gets the message, it sees that the subscription address isn't the same as the sender's address. So it sends the following mail message to the list owner:
From Owner-Majordomo@bakers.org Sun Sep 5 08:56:09 1993 To: donut-makers-approval From: Majordomo@bakers.org Subject: APPROVE donut-makers Reply-To: Majordomo@bakers.org -- postmaster@yummybake.com requests that you approve the following: subscribe donut-makers donut-makers-dist@yummybake.com If you approve, please send a message such as the following back to Majordomo@bakers.org (with the appropriate PASSWORD filled in, of course): approve PASSWORD subscribe donut-makers donut-makers-dist@yummybake.com If you disapprove, do nothing. Thanks! Majordomo@bakers.orgIf an owner doesn't want to approve the subscription request, I suggest that he not just "do nothing." If a subscription is rejected, it's a good idea to reply and explain why. Otherwise, the subscriber will probably write to ask because she already got a message like this:
From Owner-Majordomo@bakers.org Sun Sep 5 08:56:09 1993 To: postmaster@yummybake.com From: Majordomo@bakers.org Subject: Majordomo results Reply-To: Majordomo@bakers.org -- >>>> subscribe donut-makers donut-makers-dist@yummybake.com Your request to Majordomo@bakers.org: subscribe donut-makers donut-makers-dist@yummybake.com has been forwarded to the owner of the "donut-makers" list for approval. This could be for any of several reasons: You might have asked to subscribe to a "closed" list, where all new additions must be approved by the list owner. You might have asked to subscribe or unsubscribe an address other than the one that appears in the headers of your mail message. When the list owner approves your request, you will be notified. If you have any questions about the policy of the list owner, please contact "sample-approval@bakers.org". Thanks! Majordomo@bakers.orgAs the message to the list owner explained, the owner can approve the subscription by mailing an "approve" command to the majordomo server:
From: owner-name@owner-address To: Majordomo@bakers.org approve !BooM! subscribe donut-makers donut-makers-dist@yummybake.com(where "!BooM!" is the list password).