[Mailman-Users] Announce only lists

[Dan Wilder]

One common way to do this is use a shell script.  

To unsubscribe from "atc-list at ssc.com" send any email at
all with your "From: " address set up correctly.  In /etc/aliases:

atc-remove:      "|/usr/lib/mailman/localbin/unsub.sh atc ssc.com"

unsub.sh, shamelessly plagarized from an example Bob Puff posted
to this list:

---------------------------- snip --------------------------------
#!/bin/sh 
#
# Mailman auto unsubscription adapted from one by Bob Puff 01/15/01
#
# Pass two parameters to this script:
# /home/mailman/unsub <list name> <domain name>
#
# Call from your aliases file like:
# test-unsub:   |/home/mailman/unsub test yourdomain.com
#
# Fri Jan 11 00:07:41 PST 2002 Dan Wilder -- use HERE
# documents.

TMP=/tmp/t$$

/bin/cat >$TMP

export sp="password"  # *** Put your site password here ***

export addr="$(/bin/cat $TMP |
/usr/bin/formail -r | 
/usr/bin/head -1 | 
/usr/bin/awk '/^..*/{print $2}')"

(
/bin/cat <<HERE 
From: $1-admin@$2
To: $1-request@$2
Subject: unsubscribe $sp $addr
Date: $(date)

HERE
) | /usr/lib/sendmail -t

(
cat <<HERE
From: $1-admin@$2
To: $addr
Subject: Unsubscribe Confirmation
Date: $(/bin/date)

This message confirms that your unsubscribe request,
shown below, to the $1 list has been received and
is being processed.

Thank you.

----------------------- Your request --------------------------
$(/bin/cat $TMP)
---------------------------------------------------------------


--
Unsubscribe request processing at SSC.COM.
HERE
) | /usr/lib/sendmail -t

rm -f $TMP

---------------------------- snip --------------------------------


<digression>

This script suffers from two weaknesses: predictable tmpfile name (not an 
issue for me) and exposure of unchecked data within a HERE document.

Well, maybe formail does some checking.  Can't say I've verified that.

No doubt I'll add checking of data taken from the "From: " header
one of these days.  

Be warned of the predictable tmpfile name and the possibly
exposed unchecked data, should you adopt this.

Needless to say, I claim credit for the weaknesses and give Bob
credit for everything here that works.

</digression>



On Sat, Mar 23, 2002 at 02:19:57PM -0600, Paul Croft wrote:
> AMEN...I have been on the net since about 1990 and I think I have a pretty 
> good handle on things too...but I don't know how many people just cannot 
> figure out how to get off the darn lists...even with the simple 
> instructions of YahooGroups and Topica...I still had problems...now I have 
> moved to Mailman and all heck breaks loose!
> 
> A reply to unsubscribe function would be great as long as a confirmation 
> was included...even better would be a direct unsubscribe and/or no mail 
> command:
> 
> listname-unsubscribe at domain.com and/or
> listname-nomail at domain.com
> 
> My lists are announce only too (humour ezines) and I find that 90% of my 
> admin time is spent getting people to figure out how to unsubscribe...so 
> much so that I took that function away from them completely and have set up 
> my own handy-dandy unsubscribe page...I handle all the no mail and unsub 
> requests currently...but it is a chore that I would love if Mailman could 
> take it over.
> 
> Don't get me wrong...I love Mailman and find hosting my own lists (finally) 
> a great experience....BUT I would just like to make it a little easier for 
> everyone!
> 
> Paul
> 
> 
> At 04:50 AM 22/03/02, Simon Gatrall wrote:
> >My company's ISP only seems to support Mailman.  At first that seemed 
> >fine, but the more that I look into it, the more it seems like the wrong 
> >choice for my needs.  I have a list of customers that have asked to be 
> >apprised of news from my company.  This is an announce only list that I 
> >only plan to use a few times a year.  This isn't a spam list.
> >
> >Mailman can sort-of do announce-only lists, but it isn't well suited for 
> >that.  For one thing, user passwords make some sort of sense if the list 
> >is a daily part of someone's life, but they are completely unnecessary and 
> >inappropriate for my use.  Mailman also needs to make the "unsubscribe" 
> >method dead simple.  If I just reply to an announce-only list with the 
> >word "remove" or "unsubscribe" anywhere in the message subject or body it 
> >should grant my wish.  Instead there are EIGHT confusing headers to dig 
> >through to find the right one.  This is just a lot of noise to most 
> >people.  And then you have to figure out what your password is.  This is 
> >fine for geeks but not for the average consumer.  (This is coming from a 
> >geek that has been using and programming computers since '78 and has been 
> >on the net since '87.)
> >
> >I do like the fact that Mailman will track bounces, keeps archives, and 
> >provides a basic web based interface for administration and users 
> >alike.  Is there a way to configure Mailman for my purposes?
> >
> >------------------------------
> >Simon Gatrall
> 
> 
> ------------------------------------------------------
> Mailman-Users mailing list
> Mailman-Users at python.org
> http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/mailman-users
> Mailman FAQ: http://www.python.org/cgi-bin/faqw-mm.py
> 

-- 
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 Dan Wilder <dan at ssc.com>   Technical Manager & Editor
 SSC, Inc. P.O. Box 55549   Phone:  206-782-8808
 Seattle, WA  98155-0549    URL http://embedded.linuxjournal.com/
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