The mailing list for listmasters using Sympa

[Christian Dahlhausen <address@concealed>]

Hi, 
I was looking for a similar feature and got a reply as follows. At this
point we haven't gone live with Sympa yet but I will work on that
expiration scripting after that. It may not be as sophisticated as you
want it to be, but I think it is possible and would fix the main
problem.

From: David Verdin <address@concealed>
Date: Tue, Oct 6, 2009 at 1:18 PM
Subject: Re: [sympa-users] Automatic List Cleanup
To: Wendell Epps <address@concealed>
Cc: "address@concealed" <address@concealed>


I can't think of any command that would help you doing that.

I'm afraid you'll have to script that.

Each list directory contains a "msg_count" file that stores basic
information on each message sent by the list. Each line of this file
contains two values:

-the first is an epoch date divided by 86400. It corresponds to a day number.

- the second is the number of messages sent to the list that day.


There are only entries for days when messages were actually sent. So
just find the highest value, multiply it by 86400 and you'll have the
latest epoch date when a message was sent to the list. You can find
inspiration in the code of the do_get_inactive_lists function:


For each list, do:


         my $last_message;


         if (open COUNT, $list->{'dir'}.'/msg_count') {

             while (<COUNT>) {

                 $last_message = $1 if (/^(\d+)\s/ && ($1 > $last_message));

             }

             close COUNT;


         }else {

             &wwslog('info', 'Could not open file %s', $list->{'dir'}.'/msg_count');             }



$last_message contains the highest value .


Then use the sympa.pl script with --close_list option.


and here you go !


Actually, giving you these guidelines makes me realize that it would be
very easy to integrate such a feature in the Sympa distribution;
Something else on the todo list, I guess...


Regards


David

On Wed, Apr 14, 2010 at 6:20 PM, Dan Pritts <address@concealed> wrote:

Hi,

we have many lists that are created, used for a short time,
and then ignored by their owners.

We'd like a feature that does somehing like:

----

set an expiration date in the list config.
Default +1 year from creation.


send a reminder to list owners asking them to re-set expiration some
time before the list is expired.
Default: 1 month before expire, and again 1 week before expire.


an interface for resetting the expiration date.  probably a button in the admin
web interface that adds some time to the expiration date.
Default: +1 year from current expiration, but possible expiration can
never be more than 2 years from now.


close the list if the expiration date comes.


perhaps delete the list if expired for some time
Optional, off by default.

----

A related feature would be to add an additional state beyond "open" and
"closed."

"archived" or "attic"

The list-owner desires to close the list forever, but maintain the
list archives and other config in sympa.  Not eligible for deletion by
listmaster (of course listmaster can change state to closed :).

----

Related, a list-export feature so you can push out the html archive
and other data to another "attic" server, contained all in one directory or
tarball.

when the list is closed, all the data including the subscriber dump is
in the list_data and arc directories, so this is just packaging it all up.

Additionally, it would be nice to have the config HTML-ized so it could be
viewed from a browser.  Not sure about this, but certainly the subscriber list.

----


Is anyone working on anything like this?  I think it is not too much work
but I do not want to re-invent the wheel.

It doesn't seem like the auto-creation and auto-deletion of "family" lists
is the same thing but maybe it is related.

I am sure I am missing something though.    :)

thanks
danno
--
Dan Pritts, Sr. Systems Engineer
Internet2
office: +1-734-352-4953 | mobile: +1-734-834-7224

Internet2 Spring Member Meeting
April 26-28, 2010 - Arlington, Virginia
http://events.internet2.edu/2010/spring-mm/

-- 
-----------------------------------------------------------
Christian Dahlhausen, Network Systems Engineer
University of Virginia - ITC Network Systems 
PO Box 400324, 2015 Ivy Road, Charlottesville, VA 22904