Re: [cobalt-users] Majordomo woes

[Jeff Lasman <jblists@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

baltimoremd@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:

> > The "folks" at Cobalt told me in no uncertain terms that the Cobalt
> > implementation of Majordomo was set up to be used by their system, and
> > that if I wanted to host lists for my customers I'd do better installing
> > my own mailing list program.  This was over a year ago, when I asked the
> > question as a pre-sale support question, concerning my rental of a RaQ2.
> >
> 
> How nice...what a terrible attitude.

I didn't see it that way at all.  I saw it as an honest answer to an
honest question about a capability.  I told them we were in the
list-hosting business (we are) and that I needed a completely
configurable majordomo.  They told me theirs wasn't completely
configurable.  It's not. Seems pretty straightforward to me.

Kind of like buying a Chevy two-door and asking if it comes with four
doors.  It doesn't.

> And, from your post about a new copy, they probably didn't shed any light
> on what to do with their GUI selection of add/delete a mailing list.

Not sure I know what you mean.  Their add/delete mailing list selection
works; it just doesn't give me a configurable list.  I'm sorry if my
first post wasn't as clear as it might have been.

> Hopefully someone will write a script that can allow a site administrator
> to install an uncrippled mailing list.

It would require a rewrite of the Cobalt "sauce".  We can do that.  We
choose to NOT do it, because doing it would give us a support burden
we're just not interested in assuming.

The reason it would take a rewrite of the Cobalt "sauce" (not all of it
obviously) is because the Cobalt code rewrites the config file.

> But, can you use the GUI to add/remove/administrate the list?  If not,
> did you manage to disable the Cobalt menu option?

No, you can't use the GUI to add/remove/administer a list.  Adding a
mailing list to majordomo is actually quite easy.  You use my templates
to create new aliases to put into /etc/aliases.majord, then you "touch"
a file with the name of your list in /usr/majord/lists, and then you run
newaliases, and ask majordomo to send you information on the list.

Of course if you're not interested in learning how to use majordomo,
then you shouldn't expect my solution to work for you.  It works well
for me and for some of my clients.

Jeff
-- 
Jeff Lasman <jblists@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
nobaloney.net
P. O. Box 52672
Riverside, CA  92517
voice: (909) 787-8589  *  fax: (909) 782-0205