bestserv-owner - moderator of the whole mailing list manager
bestserv-errors - (error return for bounces, invisible)
As a moderator, you normally send commands to listname-command@hostname. If your mailing list was called, 'test', the address would be test-command@ lists.best.com. Depending on how your configuration is set up, the list manager may verify your requests by sending a verification to one of the listed moderators in your configuration file. If the list manager cannot determine what address you are emailing from, it will send such authentication requests to the first moderator address in your configuration file.
As a moderator, you have the option of bypassing this security mechanism by specifying an 'Approved: PASSWORD' header in, or the first line of the body of your message can be 'Approved: PASSWORD', where PASSWORD is your password. If you used Approved: as the first line of the body of the article, make sure you put a blank line between it and the actual body of the article. This only works if a password is configured in your configuration file. By default, no password is configured. In the case where you specify a valid password, the list manager will execute the set of commands without any additional authentication.
Previously, you could put a password in your Subject: line. this mechanism is now obsolete and will be shortly removed.
You should place moderator commands, one per line, in the body of the message you intend to email to listname-command@hostname. The setconfig also requires you to follow the command with your configuration file, which must be formatted as shown down below.
As a moderator, you have two choices when it comes to approving postings to a moderated list. When a user posts to a moderated list, and after his posting has been authenticated (assuming you have that feature enabled), the moderator will receive an authentication request for the posting.
(1) To simply approve a posting without exercising any editorial control, you simply reply to the authentication request as per normal, setting the REJECT to ACCEPT.
(2) To exercise editorial control, simply ignore the authentication request and construct your own posting out of the contents of the authentication request and your own editing.
When posting a message as the moderator, you can override the From: and Subject: headers by specifying your own, usually after your Approved: header. Note the blank line between the real headers and your Approved/Subject/From headers:
To: test@lists1.best.com Subject: Approved: mypassword Subject: subject-to-use From: from-line-to-use Remainder is the body of the message
subscribe [ email-address ] - subscribe the address in the From: header unless an email address is specified. The address is added to the DIGEST list. That is, by default, a subscribe adds you to a digest (unless the list moderator has set the noDigestOnly configuration flag).
subsingle [ email-address ] - Similar to subscribe, but the address is flagged for per-message distribution. That is, NOT a digest.
alias [ email-address ] - This works like subscribe but no postings will ever be sent to this address. It allows users to post from multiple accounts while receiving the list on only one account.
unsubscribe [ email-address ] - Delete yourself or someone else from the list.
getconfig - Retrieve the configuration file for this list.
setconfig - Upload a new configuration file for this list. The server copies all data between the following BEGIN CONFIG line and a terminating END CONFIG line, then continues executing commands that may follow after that.
You can put extra text after the 'BEGIN CONFIG'. Usually you put your listname in there, as in 'BEGIN CONFIG canned-meats', but the list server does not check or care... it's just useful to keep things straight for people managing multiple lists.
getinfo - Retrieve the information file for this list.
setinfo - Upload a new information file for this list. The server copies all data between the following BEGIN INFO line and a terminating END INFO line, then continues executing command that may follow after that. The information file, if it exists, is tacked onto subscription acknowledgements and information requests along with any 'infoXXX' configuration lines.
rundigest - This command forces a digest to be generated, assuming messages have accumulated.
setdigestvol volume-number - This command may be used to set the volume number for the next digest.
setdigestno digest-number - This command may be used to set the digest number for the next digest. The digest number is incremented for each digest that is generated.
getlist - This command retrieves the entire subscription list for your list.
getdisabled - This command retrieves the portion of the subscription list that has been marked disabled (the 'x' flag) by automated bounce processing software.
end - Terminate command processing, usually so your signature is not accidently interpreted as a command.
The following example configuration file covers all the available configuration parameters supported by BestServ.
BEGIN CONFIG # 'test' list configuration and default template # NOTE!!! THE 'BEGIN CONFIG' and 'END CONFIG' LINES ARE IMPORTANT! DO # NOT LEAVE THEM OUT! # # You may specify any number of moderators. If no password is assigned # to the list, only email from the moderators is accepted for major # configuration commands. # # When email is sent from a moderator with no PASSWORD key in the Subject # line, BestWWWD will attempt to match that moderator's From: header against # the list of moderators. If it is able to match the email address, it will # respond to that address. If it is not able to match the email address, it # will respond to the 'moderator1' address. # # When email is sent WITH a PASSWORD key, BestServ responds to the # originator of the email whether or not he appears in a moderator line. # moderator1 dillon@blob.best.net moderator2 dillon@best.net # If you assign a password, you may execute moderator commands from # random addresses outside of the 'moderatorXXX' list. If you do not # assign a password, you may only execute moderator commands from a # valid moderatorXXX source. # password # a password or blank # digestOnly forces all subscriptions to be distributed via Digest only # noDigestOnly forces all subscriptions to be distributed NOT as a digest # you cannot set both of these flags to 'Y' # digestOnly N # Y, N noDigestOnly N # Y, N (exclusive of digetOnly) # administrivia # # This catches messages posted to the list that look like commands and # forwards them to the moderator. Any message with 'info', 'subscribe', # or 'unsubscribe' in the first four lines of the body, AND if the entire # body of the message does not exceed 15 lines, AND if the message was not # sent from a moderator address.. THEN the message is forwarded to the # moderator rather then posted to the list. # administrivia Y # Y, N # command/request/post reception policies: # # features marked FUTURE are not yet implemented # # We suggest a minimum of 'A' for all policies. # # A authenticate with originator # R authenticate with recipient (usually used with subscribe) # S must be subscribed to list (must be moderator for commandPolicy) # AS must be subscribed to list AND authenticate w/ source # AR authenticate with originator and recipient (used for subscribe) # # X authenticate with originator if not subscribed (post policy) # Y allow postings with NNTP-Posting-Host headers through even if not subscribed # (only applies if X is also specified) (post policy) reqPolicy - # general commands other then subscribe/unsub subPolicy AR # subscription commands unsubPolicy - # unsubscribe command postPolicy S # posts # command/request/post moderation policies: # # N no moderation, execute function (automatic without notification) # C execute function and CC moderator (automatic with notification) # Y hold function, pass authorization request to moderator reqModeration C # miscellanious request moderation subModeration C # subscription commands moderation unsubModeration C # unsubscribe moderation postModeration Y # moderation when making postings # Resource limits # # m - megabytes h - hours # k - kilobytes d - days # maxMsgSize 100k # maximum message size per posting maxDigestSize 50k # approximate digest size before doing a run maxDigestMsgs 10 # max # of messages before doing a run minDigestPoll 1d # minimum flush rate (4 hours) maxMsgsDay 100 # (FUTURE) maxBytesDay 100000 # (FUTURE) # Misc. configuration commands # # subjectPrefix - specify a prefix for the Subject: that is placed in all # non-digest postings. # # replyTo - specify the Reply-To: header for postings made to the list subjectPrefix non-digest-subject-prefix-goes-here replyTo reply-to-header-goes-here # errorsCC - either the phrase 'moderator' or an email address. If # 'moderator', then errors are sent to the primary moderator # only. # errorsCC email-address-to-cc-errors-to # headerWhere - set to 'before' or 'after'... do you want the header to # appear before the index or after? Default is after the # index. # headerWhere after # Digest headers and footers. You may specify as many as you like # # These apply ONLY TO DIGESTS header1 Test Header line 1 header2 Test Header line 2 header3 header4 header5 header6 header7 header8 header9 footer1 Test Footer line 1 footer2 Test Footer line 2 footer3 footer4 footer5 footer6 footer7 footer8 footer9 # Non-Digest headers and footers # # These apply ONLY TO SINGLE POSTINGS (i.e. non-digests) headerSing1 Test Header line 1 headerSing2 Test Header line 2 headerSing3 footerSing1 Test Footer line 1 footerSing2 Test Footer line 2 footerSing3 # If you do not like the default message returned by the list manager under # a particular set of circumstances, fill in the following. If you leave # them blank, the list manager will supply a default. This has no effect # on the responses the list manager makes to -command messages, only -request # messages. # # The message returned if you attempt to post to the list and are not # subscribed. msgNotSub1 msgNotSub2 msgNotSub3 # The message returned when the list server needs to authenticate a # request or posting with the originator (ACCEPT/REJECT). NOTE: only # used for unapproved -request alias commands, does not effect # responses to -moderator alias commands. # msgVerify1 msgVerify2 msgVerify3 # Third party subscribes - the message sent to person B's email address # when person A attempts to subscribe person B. # msgTPSub1 msgTPSub2 msgTPSub3 # information returned by 'info' request to list # info1 This is a test list info2 info3 END CONFIG