[Mailman-Users] Archive problems

[Brad Knowles]

At 9:41 AM -0400 2006-04-13, Thomas Waters wrote:

>  Our mm_cfg.py file listed the correct values for Default URL and
>  Default host, so I don't understand how/why the default.py file was
>  1) wrong,

	It wasn't wrong.  Or, at least it shouldn't have been "wrong", 
since that file is only supposed to supply the default values as 
provided with the Mailman code.

>            and 2) over-riding the mm_cfg.py file.  I guess I don't
>  understand how these two files relate to each other.

	The mm_cfg.py file should over-ride any conflicting values that 
are found in Defaults.py.  That's the whole purpose of this file -- 
we provide a set of defaults for you in Defaults.py, and then if you 
want anything different you put those things in mm_cfg.py.


	Now, what may be tripping you up is some of the values specified 
in the configuration files are additive -- it's not either/or, but 
both.  So, if Defaults.py specifies things one way and mm_cfg.py 
specifies something else, it's not that the values in Defaults.py get 
over-ridden, but instead the values specified in the mm_cfg.py file 
get added to whatever is defined in Defaults.py.

	However, these things are only additive in the areas where it 
makes sense for that to happen, so you should go back to the 
installation instructions and make sure that you understand which 
configuration options are used for what, and precisely what is used 
where and in what format.


	In particular, quoting is very important.  If you get the quoting 
wrong (using the wrong type of quote characters or in the wrong 
place), then you definitely will not get what you expected.

	In addition, white space is important -- Python uses white space 
indentation as block formatting.  So:

		This

	Is not the same as:

			This

	Why?  Because the leading white space is different.


	IIRC, there shouldn't be any leading white space anywhere in 
either of these configuration files, and all of our documentation 
showing the various configuration options should be free of any 
leading white space.

	If you've got any leading white space, you should check to make 
sure that it is appropriate for that particular configuration option 
in that particular place.

-- 
Brad Knowles, <brad at stop.mail-abuse.org>

"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little
temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."

     -- Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790), reply of the Pennsylvania
     Assembly to the Governor, November 11, 1755

  LOPSA member since December 2005.  See <http://www.lopsa.org/>.