The mailing list for listmasters using Sympa

["Roger B.A. Klorese" <address@concealed>]

On 3/1/14, 6:21 PM, Matt Taggart wrote:
> "Roger B.A. Klorese" writes:
> > Thanks. That, and password approval for admin commands, are significant
> > gaps to other list managers.
> I don't know quite what you mean by "password approval for admin commands"
> but you can control what is needed for commands via scenari and also
> edit_list.conf. Keep in mind you don't want to set things that are easily
> hacked with a forged sender.
>
> Maybe if you explain more what your goal is it would be easier to figure
> out how to accomplish it. The scenari give you lots of flexibility.

We have migrated a lot of lists, in multiple robots, from Majordomo 2 
(where they have been hosted for a decade) to Sympa.

Many of our list-owners and listmasters have integrated the subscription 
process into their websites, and have done so via email. Others have 
been accustomed to be able to do all management functions by email.

It is a very common form of integration for websites to offer an email 
address blank and a radio button for digest or non-digest format, and to 
send the subscription request to be processed. Our lists have, under 
Mj2, required approval by the list-owner and confirmation by the 
subscriber; however, the list-owner confirmation process could be 
short-circuited by sending the request with the list's administrative 
password:

    approve LISTPW subscribe LISTNAME address@concealed

In the absence of a list password, having the website's sending email 
address have such privileges if its password were given would be 
feasible, since the (unseen) password would need to be spoofed for a 
request to be forged.

Similarly, Mj2 supports the following syntax:

    subscribe-set-digest LISTNAME address@concealed

(or "subscribe-set-each" if the digest format is the default format).  
This could be combined with the approval password.

In the absence of an integrated option, earlier versions did:

    subscribe LISTNAME address@concealed
    set LISTNAME digest address@concealed