LIST(8)

NAME
list - list processor channel for MMDF

SYNOPSIS
list

DESCRIPTION
List is an MMDF channel program for handling mailing lists. The channel functions as a feed-through between deliver and submit. The list channel has its own host table and domain table with one entry for the pseudo host ``list-processor'' or something similar. This program is called by the program deliver and is not meant to be invoked by users directly.

The list channel performs two basic services. First, it postpones the verification of the list addresses and performs the (possibly lengthy) verification in the background when the list channel resubmits the message to the mail system. This prevents tying up a network connection or a user's terminal when verifying a long mailing list. Second, the list channel will, under special circumstances, change the return address for the message to a generic maintainer's address. The return address is determined by first taking the destination address (e.g. ``largelist'') and seeing if there is an address in the alias file called ``largelist-request''. If there is, then ``largelist-request'' is used as the return address. If that was not found, the list channel checks to see if the destination address has a trailing ``-outbound''. If so, this is stripped and a ``-request'' is added and the lookup in the alias file is made a second time. If the ``-request'' address is found, then that address is used as the return address. If no ``-request'' address is found, then the original return address is used (normally the address of the sender).

To use the list channel to process a list, it is generally necessary to make three entries in the alias file(s). Let us say that we wish to set up a list called ``largelist'' and we want this list to be processed by the list channel. We would need the following entries in the alias file:

largelist:	largelist-outbound@list-processor
largelist-outbound:	</usr/mmdf/lists/largelist-file
largelist-request:	maintainer

The first line causes mail sent to ``largelist'' to be sent through the list processor, readdressed to ``largelist-outbound''. The second line is what actually references the mailing list file for ``largelist''. The third line is optional, and is used to set up the (informal) standard maintenance address. This -request address, if present, will also be used by the list channel as the return address for mail submitted to the list.

SEE ALSO
deliver(8), submit(8)

FILES
<mmdf-table-directory>/aliases - to find list-request addresses