[Mailman-Users] Message stuck in <list>.mbox after archive re-installation

[Mark Sapiro]

Roger Price wrote:
> 
> Before the upgrade, I saved the archives of my club's slow moving 
> mailing list.  I ran
> 
> cp -a <mailman>/archives/private/club <safe-place>/archives/private/club
> cp -a <mailman>/lists/club            <safe-place>/lists/club


But you neglected to back up <mailman>/archives/private/club.mbox


> based on the mv's in http://wiki.list.org/viewpage.action?pageId=4030617 
> . After the upgrade and reinstallation of mailman, I created a new list 
> "club", and then installed the archives.


You didn't need to create a 'new' list. Simply installing the lists/club 
directory does this.


> cp -a <safe-place>/archives/private/club <mailman>/archives/private/club 
> cp -a <safe-place>/lists/club            <mailman>/lists/club


So now you have the list and its pipermail archive, but you don't have 
the cumulative club.mbox/club.mbox file containing the archive as a mbox.


> I checked permissions and ownership with bin/check-perms, restarted 
> mailman and postfix, visited my list with a browser and found my 
> membership list, and past messages.  Then I sent a small message to the 
> list.  I received a copy but none of the list members received it.  It 
> sits in <mailman>/archives/private/club.mbox/club.mbox and doesn't get 
> distributed.


It got distributed or you wouldn't have received it. It also got 
archived which is why it's in 
<mailman>/archives/private/club.mbox/club.mbox which is an archive and 
has nothing to do with message delivery. All the past messages should be 
there too except you didn't back them up and restore them.


> Following the advice in 
> http://wiki.list.org/display/DOC/Troubleshooting-+No+mail+going+out+to+lists+members 
> I checked that mailmanctl is indeed running. The following qrunner's are 
> reported by ps aux :
> 
>  /usr/lib/mailman/bin/qrunner --runner=ArchRunner:0:1 -s
>  /usr/lib/mailman/bin/qrunner --runner=BounceRunner:0:1 -s
>  /usr/lib/mailman/bin/qrunner --runner=CommandRunner:0:1 -s
>  /usr/lib/mailman/bin/qrunner --runner=IncomingRunner:0:1 -s
>  /usr/lib/mailman/bin/qrunner --runner=NewsRunner:0:1 -s
>  /usr/lib/mailman/bin/qrunner --runner=OutgoingRunner:0:1 -s
>  /usr/lib/mailman/bin/qrunner --runner=VirginRunner:0:1 -s
>  /usr/lib/mailman/bin/qrunner --runner=RetryRunner:0:1 -s
> 
> Directory <mailman>/locks contains two files
>  master-qrunner
>  master-qrunner.glacon2.31638
> where process 31638 is currently mailmanctl.
> 
> File mm_cfg.py contains SMTPHOST = "smtp.free.fr" which is correct for me.
> 
> File <mailman>/data/aliases contains a stanza of 10 lines for the "club" 
> mailing list.  File /etc/postfix/main.cf contains
> 
>  alias_maps = hash:/etc/aliases, hash:/var/lib/mailman/data/aliases
> 
> Any hint for getting this hanging message out would be much appreciated.

There may or may not be a 'hanging' message.

I'm only guessing, but I think the problem may be that mm_cfg.py 
contains SMTPHOST = "smtp.free.fr". If that is your local box, when you 
connect to smtp.free.fr instead of the default localhost, Postfix 
probably won't 'relay' the mail to other than local domains.

In any case, check Mailman's logs. In particular, bounce, smtp, 
smtp-failure and error. Also look in Mailman's out, retry and shunt queues.

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