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E-mail: Managing a Majordomo E-mail List

Summary: As the owner of a majordomo mailing list there are several commands available to you for list management. This document contains the basic commands you need to know in order to manage a mailing list at Calvin using Majordomo. You should first be familiar with the Mailing List Basics. If you have any questions, refer them to the HelpDesk.

In the following commands:

listname: is the name of your list
password: is the password for your list
username@calvin.edu: is the e-mail address of the person you are subscribing or unsubscribing.

Password: change the list password

Send the following command to majordomo@calvin.edu:

passwd listname old_passwd new_passwd

Example:
passwd tennis-club backhandvolley doublefault

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Subscribe: add people to your list

Send the following command to majordomo@calvin.edu:

approve password subscribe listname username@calvin.edu

Example:
approve doublefault subscribe tennis-club jc2@calvin.edu

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Unsubscribe: remove people your list

Send the following command to majordomo@calvin.edu:

approve password unsubscribe listname username@calvin.edu

Example:
approve doublefault unsubscribe tennis-club jc2@calvin.edu

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Who: see who is subscribed to your list

Send the following command to majordomo@calvin.edu:

who listname

Example:
who tennis-club

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Additional Command Information

You can send multiple commands in one e-mail to majordomo@calvin.edu.

Example:
Send the following to majordomo@calvin.edu:

approve password subscribe lists e-mail1@calvin.edu
approve password subscribe lists e-mail2@calvin.edu
approve password subscribe lists e-mail3@calvin.edu
approve lpassword unsubscribe lists e-mail4@calvin.edu
approve password unsubscribe lists e-mail5@calvin.edu

Sometimes e-mail addresses are really long, and can cause some problems when trying to subscribe or unsubscribe them. Majordomo looks at each line as a unique request, and if the line wraps at the wrong spot, the request that it tries to process might not be the one you intended to send.

Example:
approve doublefault subscribe lists myheartandmytennisracketiofferyoulordpromptlyandsincerely@calvin.edu

Majordomo looks at these lines individually, and doesn't really know what you are requesting. To fix this, add the character \ at the end of the first line, which lets majordomo know that you're continuing this request on the next line.

Example:
approve doublefault subscribe lists \
myheartandmytennisracketiofferyoulordpromptlyandsincerely@calvin.edu

Any other questions you have can be directed to the HelpDesk (x6-8555).

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Approval Commands

When Majordomo requests your approval for something, it sends you a message that includes a template of the approval message; if you concur, you simply need to replace "PASSWORD" in the template with your list password, and send the template line back to Majordomo.

The requests for approval that Majordomo generates all start with APPROVE in the "Subject:" line.

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Bounced Messages

Majordomo may bounce certain messages that people attempt to post to your mailing list. These messages may be bounced for a number of reasons, such as being too long or appearing to be an administrative request meant for Majordomo and not for the posting address.

Majordomo will forward these messages to you in another message whose subject line begins with the word BOUNCE; the subject line will also indicate the name of the list the message was bounced from (in case you manage more than one list) and the reason the message was bounced.

If you decide that the message should not have been bounced, then you can cause Majordomo to post it anyway by sending the message back to the posting address with a special "Approved: password" header. To do this, follow these instructions:

  1. Forward the bounced message back to the list address
  2. Edit the message to insert a line that says "Approved: password" (where password is the password for your list) at the top, before the original message's mail headers.
  3. Send this edited file back to the posting address for your list.

This time around, Majordomo will notice the "Approved:" line and check it against your list password. If it matches, Majordomo will strip off the header of your message and the "Approved:" line (leaving just the original message), and send the original message.

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Moderated Mailing Lists

If your list is moderated, then you as the list owner must approve all messages before they are posted to the list. When someone sends an e-mail to your-listname@calvin.edu, the message is bounced to you for approval. To approve the message simply reply to the message with be posted to the list, you add a valid "Approved:" line and send them back, just as described above.

If you have any questions about using Mailing Lists, send them to the HelpDesk or call x6-8555.