Next: 15. List configuration parameters Up: Sympa Mailing Lists Management Software version Previous: 13. Mailing list definition Contents Index
Subsections

- 14.1 List creation
  - 14.1.1 Who can create lists
  - 14.1.2 typical list profile
- 14.2 List edition

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14. Creating and editing mailing using the web

The management of mailing lists by list owners will usually be done via the web interface. This is based on a strict definition of privileges which pertain respectively to the listmaster, to the main list owner, and to basic list owners. The goal is to allow each listmaster to define who can create lists, and which parameters may be set by owners. Therefore, a complete installation requires some careful planning, although default values should be acceptable for most sites.

Some features are already available, others will be so shortly, as specified in the documentation.

# 14.1 List creation

Listmasters have all privileges. Currently the listmaster is defined in `sympa.conf` but in the future, it might be possible to define one listmaster per virtual robot. By default, newly created lists must be activated by the listmaster. List creation is possible for all intranet users (i.e. : users with an e-mail address within the same domain as Sympa). This is controlled by the `create_list` authorization scenario.

List creation request message and list creation notification message are both templates that you can customize (`create_list_request.tpl` and `list_created.tpl`).

## 14.1.1 Who can create lists

This is defined by the `create_list` sympa.conf parameter (see 5.1.10, page ). This parameter refers to a create_list authorization scenario. It will determine if the create list button is displayed and if it requires a listmaster confirmation.

The authorization scenario can accept any condition concerning the [sender] (i.e. WWSympa user), and it returns `reject`, `do_it` or `listmaster` as an action.

Only in cases where a user is authorized by the create_list authorization scenario will the "create" button be available in the main menu. If the scenario returns `do_it`, the list will be created and installed. If the scenario returns "listmaster", the user is allowed to create a list, but the list is created with the `pending` status, which means that only the list owner may view or use it. The listmaster will need to open the list of pending lists using the "pending list" button in the "server admin" menu in order to install or refuse a pending list.

## 14.1.2 typical list profile

Mailing lists can have many different uses. Sympa offers a wide choice of parameters to adapt a list's behavior to different situations. Users might have difficulty selecting all the correct parameters, so instead the create list form asks the list creator simply to choose a profile for the list, and to fill in the owner's e-mail and the list subject together with a short description.

List profiles can be stored in `/home/sympa/etc/create_list_templates` or `/home/sympa/bin/etc/create_list_templates`, which are part of the Sympa distribution and should not be modified. `/home/sympa/etc/create_list_templates`, which will not be overwritten by make install, is intended to contain site customizations.

A list profile is an almost complete list configuration, but with a number of missing fields (such as owner e-mail) to be replaced by WWSympa at installation time. It is easy to create new list templates by modifying existing ones. Contributions to the distribution are welcome.

You might want to hide or modify profiles (not useful, or dangerous for your site). If a profile exists both in the local site directory `/home/sympa/etc/create_list_templates` and `/home/sympa/bin/etc/create_list_templates` directory, then the local profile will be used by WWSympa.

Another way to control publicly available profiles is to edit the `create_list.conf` file (the default for this file is in the `/home/sympa/bin/etc` directory, and you may create your own customized version in `/home/sympa/etc`). This file controls which of the available list templates are to be displayed. Example :

    # Do not allow the public_anonymous profile
    public_anonymous hidden
    * read

When a list is created, whatever its status (`pending` or `open`), the owner can use WWSympa admin features to modify list parameters, or to edit the welcome message, and so on.

WWSympa logs the creation and all modifications to a list as part of the list's `config` file (and old configuration files are saved).

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14.2 List edition

For each parameter, you may specify (via the `/home/sympa/etc/edit_list.conf` configuration file) who has the right to edit the parameter concerned ; the default `/home/sympa/bin/etc/edit_list.conf` is reasonably safe.

    Each line is a set of 3 field
    <Parameter> <Population> <Privilege>
    <Population> : <listmaster|privileged_owner|owner>
    <Privilege> : <write|read|hidden>
    parameter named "default" means any other parameter

There is no hierarchical relation between populations in this configuration file. You need to explicitely list populations.

Eg: listmaster will not match rules refering to owner or privileged_owner

         examples :

    	# only listmaster can edit user_data_source, priority, ...
    	user_data_source listmaster write

    	priority 	owner,privileged_owner 		read
    	priority 	listmaster 			write

    	# only privileged owner can modify  editor parameter, send, ...
    	editor privileged_owner write

    	send 		owner 				read
    	send 		privileged_owner,listmaster 	write

    	# other parameters can be changed by simple owners
    	default 	owner 				write

Privileged owners are defined in the list's `config` file as follows :

    	owner
    	email owners.email@foo.bar
    	profile privileged

The following rules are hard coded in WWSympa :

- only listmaster can edit the "profile privileged" owner attribute

- owners can edit their own attributes (except profile and e-mail)

- the requestor creating a new list becomes a privileged owner

- privileged owners can edit any gecos/reception/info attribute of any owner

- privileged owners can edit owners' e-mail addresses (but not privileged owners' e-mail addresses)

Sympa aims to define two levels of trust for owners (some being entitled simply to edit secondary parameters such as "custom_subject", others having the right to manage more important parameters), while leaving control of crucial parameters (such as the list of privileged owners and user_data_sources) in the hands of the listmaster. Consequently, privileged owners can change owners' e-mails, but they cannot grant the responsibility of list management to others without referring to the listmaster.

Next: 15. List configuration parameters Up: Sympa Mailing Lists Management Software version Previous: 13. Mailing list definition Contents Index