PMDF System Manager's Guide

This section will discuss an example of a mailing list for which no general stringent posting or subscription restrictions are to be imposed, with the exception of a "list owner" maintained subsidiary list of addresses specifically prohibited from posting to the list. Such a list definition in the PMDF alias file might be:

open-list: open-list-expand@process open-list-expand: <PMDF_MAILSERV_MAIL_DIR:open-list.dis, \ [CANT_LIST] PMDF_MAILSERV_MAIL_DIR:open-list-reject.dis, \ [USERNAME] open-list-owner, \ [HEADER_ADDITION] PMDF_TABLE:open-list-headers.txt, \ open-list-owner@example.com, \ open-list@example.com open-list-request: MAILSERV

In this definition, the only access control established for list postings is that no addresses in the PMDF_MAILSERV_MAIL_DIR:open-list-reject.dis file can post; this file might initially be empty, to be added to by open-list-owner@example.com if abusive postings are received.

The above list definition references a file of headers to be added to messages posted to the list; such a file might be:

List-Help: <mailto:mailserv@example.com?body=help> (MAILSERV Instructions), <mailto:open-list-owner@example.com?subject=help> (List Manager) List-Subscribe: <mailto:open-list-request@example.com?body=subscribe%20open-list> List-Unsubscribe: <mailto:open-list-request@example.com?body=unsubscribe%20open-list> List-Post: <mailto:open-list@example.com> List-Owner: <mailto:open-list-owner@example.com?Subject=open-list>

For the list open-list, third party subscribes by anyone other than open-list-owner@example.com will be disallowed, but all other subscribes will be permitted. open-list-owner@example.com will be permitted to perform third party unsubscribes, but all others can only unsubscribe themselves. Members of the list will be allowed to request the list membership file. MAILSERV responses to user messages to MAILSERV regarding the open-list list will have a From: address of open-list-owner@example.com. The open-list-reject list will also be handled by MAILSERV; only the open-list-owner@example.com address will have any access to this subsidiary list.

MAILSERV_ACCESS SUBSCRIBE|open-list|open-list-owner@example.com|* $Y (1) SUBSCRIBE|open-list|open-list-owner@example.com $Y (2) SUBSCRIBE|open-list|*|* $N (3) SUBSCRIBE|open-list|* $Y (4) UNSUBSCRIBE|open-list|open-list-owner@example.com|* $Y (5) UNSUBSCRIBE|open-list|open-list-owner@example.com $K$Y (6) UNSUBSCRIBE|open-list|*|* $N (7) UNSUBSCRIBE|open-list|* $Y (8) SENDLIST|open-list|open-list-owner@example.com $Y (9) SENDLIST|open-list|* \ $X$<PMDF_MAILSERV_MAIL_DIR:open-list.dis (10) PURGELIST|open-list|open-list-owner@example.com $Y (11) ! SUBSCRIBE|open-list-reject|open-list-owner@example.com|* $K$V$Y$D (12) SUBSCRIBE|open-list-reject|* $N (13) UNSUBSCRIBE|open-list-reject|open-list-owner@example.com|* $K$V$Y$D (14) UNSUBSCRIBE|open-list-reject|* $N (15) SENDLIST|open-list-reject|open-list-owner@example.com $Y (16) PURGELIST|open-list-reject|open-list-owner@example.com $Y (17) DIRECTLIST|open-list-reject|* $N (18) *|open-list-reject|* $N (19) MAILSERV_LISTS open-list $Aopen-list-owner@example.com (20)

More specifically:

1. This entry specifies that open-list-owner@example.com can subscribe other addresses to the list.
2. This entry specifies that open-list-owner@example.com can subscribe himself to the list. Note that , above, does not enable this; in order to allow open-list-owner@example.com to subscribe himself, this separate entry is required.
3. This entry disallows third party subscribes: userA cannot subscribe userB to the list. The earlier entry, , explicitly allows open-list-owner@example.com to perform third-party subscribes of other addresses; if anyone else attempts to perform a third-party subscribe, the attempt will fall-through to this entry and be denied.
4. This entry allows general users to subscribe themselves. Note that this is a default behavior and hence this entry is, strictly speaking, redundant. However, it is included for completeness and clarity.
5. This entry specifies that open-list-owner@example.com can unsubscribe other addresses from the list.
6. This entry specifies that open-list-owner@example.com can unsubscribe himself, though due to the $K in the entry, MAILSERV will double check and ask him to confirm any such request. Note that , above, does not enable open-list-owner@example.com to unsubscribe himself; applies only to third party unsubscribes.
7. This entry disallows third party unsubscribes in general. Note that third party unsubscribes are disallowed by default, so this entry is not, strictly speaking, necessary; however, it is included for completeness and clarity.
8. This entry explicitly allows general users to unsubscribe themselves; note that such direct unsubscribes are allowed by default, so this entry is not, strictly speaking, necessary; however, it is included for completeness and clarity.
9. This entry allows open-list-owner@example.com to request and receive a copy of the list file. As opposed to the next entry, , note that a $X is not specified on this entry; comments in the list entries (such as MAILSERV notes regarding who subscribed the addressee and when) will be included by default if open-list-owner@example.com requests a copy of the list.
10. This entry allows anyone already subscribed to the list to request and receive a copy of the list file. The $X in the entry causes any comments in the list file (such as notes about who subscribed an address and when) to be stripped, by default, when sending the list file.
11. This entry allows open-list-owner@example.com to use the command PURGE/LIST open-list to cause comment lines (such as addresses unsubscribed via MAILSERV) to be removed from the list file.
12. This entry allows open-list-owner@example.com to subscribe other addresses to the open-list-reject list. The $K means that the subscriptions will not be immediately performed, but rather MAILSERV will send back a message to (due to the $V) open-list-owner@example.com asking him to confirm the subscription. The $D means that open-list-owner can use the /NONOTIFY qualifier on subscribe requests, e.g., SUBSCRIBE/NONOTIFY open-list-reject, to cause omission of the usual "You have been subscribed by open-list-owner@example.com to open-list-reject list" message to the subscribee address.
13. This entry disallows all subscribe access (other than that explicitly allowed earlier in ) to the open-list-reject list.
14. This entry allows open-list-owner@example.com to unsubscribe other addresses from the open-list-reject list. The $K means that the unsubscriptions will not be immediately performed, but rather MAILSERV will send back a message to (due to the $V) open-list-owner@example.com asking him to confirm the unsubscription. The $D means that open-list-owner can use the /NONOTIFY qualifier on unsubscribe requests, e.g., UNSUBSCRIBE/NONOTIFY open-list-reject, to cause omission of the usual "You have been unsubscribed by open-list-owner@example.com from open-list-reject list" message to the unsubscribee address.
15. This entry disallows all unsubscribe access (other than that explicitly allowed earlier in ) to the open-list-reject list.
16. This entry allows open-list-owner@example.com to use the command SEND/LIST open-list-reject to request a copy of the open-list-reject list.
17. This entry allows open-list-owner@example.com to use the command PURGE/LIST open-list-reject to purge commented lines (including addresses unsubscribed via MAILSERV) from the open-list-reject list.
18. This entry causes open-list-reject to not be displayed as a list in response to any DIRECTORY/LIST command.
19. This entry disallows any other MAILSERV access to the open-list-reject list.
20. This MAILSERV_LISTS entry specifies that MAILSERV responses to user messages to MAILSERV regarding open-list will have a From: address of open-list-owner@example.com.