The mailing list for listmasters using Sympa

[Johann Spies <address@concealed>]

I replaced majordomo last year with sympa on Debian Woody. I have
chosen sympa because it uses postgresql as backend and because of
several reviews I have read on the product.

The installation was not trivial but I got it working. At first I was
impressed with the ease of use for the users (subscribers and list
owners) which made my work easier.

For most of the lists sympa works without a problem but I was
embarrassed by two instances where sympa.pl just died when a list
message was sent out.  In the first instance it was not a very
important list and the list owner could make other arrangements.

However for the past two weeks a list containing the official
newsletter of our university made sympa.pl die and when I restart it,
it resend the first batch and die again. At first I did not realise
that with the result that some users have received 50 copies and
others nothing.  That is just not acceptable.

I have asked questions on this list in the past concerning this type
of problem.  I have received suggestions to upgrade the version of
certain perl modules - which I have done.  That made no difference.

I admit that the version is an old one: 3.3.3-3woody2.  But to upgrade
it to a newer version is a major exercise which will force me to stop
the mailing list service for some time. 

Am I the only administrator who experienced such problems?  It would
be a very bad experience if I upgrade to a newer version with an
interruption of service until I get the different data structure and
all the other stuff sorted out and the same type of problems are still
part of the package.

Regards
Johann
-- 
Johann Spies          Telefoon: 021-808 4036
Informasietegnologie, Universiteit van Stellenbosch

     "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and
      him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out."
                                      John 6:37