[Mailman-Users] Just getting started....

[Mark Sapiro]

Seeney, Tim wrote:
>
>The ISP for a client I am doing some web work for told me they use Mailman.


OK, so it's installed on the ISP's machine - you don't need to do
anything with Mailman software on your machine. You use the web
interface on the ISP's machine to create and manage lists there.


>I downloaded the install file locally onto my machine.  When I go to the
>clients' "lists" admin site (as told to by the ISP Help Desk), it states
>there are no email lists created - this stands to reason as no one has ever
>created a list for this user yet.


Is this the URL http://host.name/mailman/admin or something similar?
Does it return a page titled "host.name mailing lists - Admin Links"?
Is there a "create a new mailing list" link at the end of the first
paragraph or somewhere on that page?


>After I downloaded the install files for mailman locally, I am unsure what
>to do next - do I upload all the files from the local folder to the website
>and start that way or do I create the lists from the files on my local
>machine?  Also, I've been reading many of the install info..and it appears I
>have to create a local group and user for customizing the lists, etc...is
>this true?


No, you don't want to install Mailman. You want to use the existing
installation at the ISP.


>Finally, I see people are referring to the "web interface" to create the
>email lists - what file under which folder do you launch to do this, and do
>you do this locally or after you upload the files to the website?


You don't launch anything. You go to the admin interface URL at the
host and create and administer the list there.


>Obviously, I'm a little confused so a little help would be greatly
>appreciated - even a point in the right direction would be appreciated..as a
>step by step guide I find the guide provided by the makers a
>little..lacking.  Maybe I'm reading the wrong document though.


I think you are. See http://www.list.org/admins.html Unfortunately,
neither document there is complete as the first is for Mailman 2.0,
not 2.1 and the second is unfinished, but they may help. You should
not be reading installation documentation, at least not yet.

--
Mark Sapiro <msapiro at value.net>       The highway is for gamblers,
San Francisco Bay Area, California    better use your sense - B. Dylan