[Mailman-Users] Re: Quick question about your newlist patch

[Gary Algier]

Derek Simkowiak wrote:
> 
> -> > These patches will make the "Hit enter" `text go to stderr and they will
> -> > omit the "Entry for...".  If you want to "see" the output and cut and
> -> > paste with a mouse, use:
> -> >    newlist listname user at domain.com somepasswd
> -> > If you don't have or want a mouse, use:
> -> >    newlist listname user at domain.com somepasswd >>/etc/aliases
> 
>      Gary,
>         Just to confirm: your patch still allows for interactive input to
> the newlist script, right?
> 
>         What did you mean by omitting the "Entry for..."?  I think the
> newlist script should keep its informational messages, but just print them
> to stderr (or stdout, if the useful stuff goes to stderr--whichever way
> works).
> 
> --Derek

Unfortunately, all I really know about Python is how to find the book on
my shelf so I did not want to dig too deeply into the code.  Too many
languages, too little time.

In general, in the Unix world, user prompts should go to stderr
(or /dev/tty) so that "real" output can be redirected.  Sometime
try the command:
	echo g/re/p | ed -x filename >output
and you will see the prompt, the output will get the real output.
[This does a grep of an "encrypted" file]

Well, I gave it a try.  I could not find where to fix raw_input() and
getpass() is in the Mailman/pythonlib directory.  I did not want to
break anything else by "fixing" getpass, so I did a kludge in newlist.
I made these function calls output nothing, while doing the
sys.stderr.write() just before.  I also fixed the usage() function.

<rant>
  I hate programs that write error messages and usage messages into
  my files.
</rant>

Attached is the new (combined) patch.
[Please excuse the attachment as I can't figure out how to make my
email client (Netscape) insert a file inline.  If I cut and paste
I will mess up the spacing.]


-- 
Gary Algier, WB2FWZ       gary.algier at ulticom.com           +1 856 787 2758
Ulticom Inc., 1020 Briggs Rd, Mt. Laurel, NJ 08054      Fax:+1 856 866 2033

            This space intentionally left blank by the censors.
-------------- next part --------------
--- bin/newlist.old	Fri Jun 16 14:10:21 2000
+++ bin/newlist	Fri Jun 16 20:10:03 2000
@@ -46,7 +46,6 @@
 
 
 ALIASTEMPLATE = '''
-Entry for aliases file:
 
 ## %(listname)s mailing list
 ## created: %(date)s %(user)s
@@ -70,9 +69,11 @@
 
 
 def usage(code, msg=''):
-    print __doc__
+    sys.stderr.write(__doc__)
+    sys.stderr.write("\n")
     if msg:
-        print msg
+        sys.stderr.write(msg)
+        sys.stderr.write("\n")
     sys.exit(code)
 
 
@@ -81,7 +82,8 @@
     if len(argv) > 1:
 	listname = argv[1]
     else:
-	listname = raw_input("Enter the name of the list: ")
+	sys.stderr.write("Enter the name of the list: ")
+	listname = raw_input("")
     listname = string.lower(listname)
 
     if '@' in listname:
@@ -93,12 +95,13 @@
     if len(argv) > 2:
 	owner_mail = argv[2]
     else:
-	owner_mail = raw_input(
-	    "Enter the email of the person running the list: ")
+	sys.stderr.write("Enter the email of the person running the list: ")
+	owner_mail = raw_input("")
     if len(argv) > 3:
 	list_pw = argv[3]
     else:
-        list_pw = getpass.getpass("Initial %s password: " % listname)
+	sys.stderr.write("Initial %s password: " % listname)
+        list_pw = getpass.getpass("")
 
     mlist = MailList.MailList()
     try:
@@ -116,6 +119,7 @@
             usage(1, 'Bad owner email address: ' + owner_mail)
 
 
+	sys.stderr.write("Entry for aliases file: \n\n")
         print ALIASTEMPLATE % {
             'listname': listname,
             'list'    : "%-24s" % (listname + ":"),
@@ -128,7 +132,7 @@
             }
 
         if len(argv) < 5:
-            print ("Hit enter to continue with %s owner notification..."
+            sys.stderr.write ("Hit enter to continue with %s owner notification..."
                    % listname),
             sys.stdin.readline()
         # send the notice to the list owner