Sympa-thy

[Ahkileez]

I'm creating an online RPGing organization, one that's going to require several mailing lists that are easy to configure and maintain easily accessible archives for reference.

 

I did a lot of searching quite some time ago and finally came back around to the only one I had any in-depth knowledge of: which is Sympa. I've never set up a system like this before, so I'm wondering if it can be set up here at TCH and if there are any kind souls here who could give me a hand with it. This end of web work is far from my forte.

 

Thanks in advance for any help.

[LisaJill]

After looking at the installation instructions I am going to say that you can't install this on TCH server unless you have a dedicated server and some pretty good UNIX knowledge. A few things:

 

1) Installation of CPAN modules - tech will do this for you, but you can't do it yourself.

2) Special user created for it - nyet.

3) Compiling the source - again, nyet.

 

All the rest of the "command line arguments" - nope.

 

I think that on a shared hosting server this is just not a good option. Sorry to bear bad news.

[Ahkileez]

I had a feeling that Sympa was a little heavy, but I wasn't certain. I understand the issues here.

 

I tried Mailman on here and just found it confusing and the archiving system left MUCH to be desired.

 

Anyone out there have any other ideas for mailing list setups that provide the ability for multiple lists and has a good and accessible archiving system?

[TCH-Dick]

Dadda mail http://mojo.skazat.com/

[Ahkileez]

Hmm, okay. Downloaded and uploaded Dada Mail and went through their installation instructions but it still isn't working. Hmm..

 

I'm trying to put Dada in its own subdomain. How should I handle the $FILES variable?

 

"$FILES = '/usr/home/justin/dada_files';" - the example they use

 

"$FILES = '/public_html/adam/dada/dada_files';" - what I've got

 

What am I doing wrong? I had the wrong path to the mail.cgi file before and it said the server wasn't configured or something. Fixed that and I started getting a 404 type message - I assumed that to mean the CGI file was working properly, it just couldn't get the files it needed. So I'm guessing my problem is the files variable.

 

Any ideas here, Mike?

[TCH-Bruce]

Try this:

 

"$FILES = '/home/yourcpanelname/public_html/adam/dada/dada_files';"

Edited August 21, 2004 by TCH-Bruce

[Ahkileez]

No dice.

 

I'm pretty sure I'm doing something wrong, I just don't know what yet. I tried the string you provided, and I tried removing the 'dada-files' section, wondering if I had been stupid by creating an empty directory named that when what it was asking for was to be directed to wherever I uploaded the files to. Still no dice however.

[Ahkileez]

Still no dice. *sigh*

 

This is the string I'm using now $FILES = '/usr/home/pttfulij/public_html/adam/DADA';

 

With this string I still hit an Error 404 when I go to the mail.cgi url as the instructions tell me to. I was getting an Error 500 before. I figure a 404 is better since it's actively working, just not finding what it wants.

[LisaJill]

What's this /usr/ stuff?

 

Try /home/username/public_html/adam/dada

 

Is dada in lowercase on the server? it is CASE SENSITIVE - so only use all uppercase if that's how you created the directory. =)

[Ahkileez]

Variable #2: $FILES

Dada Mail will write many different files when it works with the mailing lists you create. It needs a place on your hosting account to work on these files. This location needs to be spelled out in the $FILES variable.

 

To do this, you need to change the $FILES variable to point to an absolute path to a directory. An absolute path is a path that starts with a '/'. For example:

 

$FILES = '/usr/home/justin/dada_files';To clarify, my home directory is located at:

 

/usr/home/justinIn my home directory, I created a new directory called, dada_files. This is the directory that Dada Mail will use to save it's files in.

 

Those are the installation instructions.

 

I created a directory called 'dada_files' and when I point the $FILE variable to it, I get an Error 500. When I point it to something that has actual files in it, I get a 400. That leads me to believe they did not want me to make an empty directory named dada_files so I'm supposed to point it somewhere specific.

 

The problem is, they don't tell me specifically where they want me to point to. There's an external directory with several folders in it, and then there's a 'DADA' directory. I've tried linking straight to the external and to the interior DADA directory and neither works. I just get 404.

[Ahkileez]

These are the online instructions I followed. DADA HOMPAGE INSTRUCTIONS

[LisaJill]

That is an example of a file path. There is no way that they could be the exact file path for the hundreds (thousands) of possible people trying to follow it.

 

So, lets say you have a subdomain "adam" and you are installing dada in there. You make another directory "dada". (note, all lowercase)

 

The path would be /home/username/public_html/adam/dada

 

note: username should be replaced with your username. =)

 

Then, the URL would be http://adam.domain.com/dada

 

Does that help?

[Ahkileez]

Still nothing. I don't get it. I've tried a dozen different variations.

 

The only thing I can think of is it might not be working because of the fourth variable they ask you to change.

 

$MAILPROG = '/usr/sbin/sendmail';

 

They suggest you leave that the same unless your server's different. I figure TCH isn't set up this way but I wasn't bothering with it just yet since I could just ask on these boards how to link to the mailprog. But I'm wondering if Dada not being able to access this yet might also be mucking with it.

 

Maybe TCH-Mike could figure it out, but so far I'm not having much luck.

[TCH-Bruce]

That is the correct path to the "sendmail" program.

 

Open your FTP program or File Manager in cPanel and create a folder at the same level as the public_html folder. Call it "dada" or what ever you want it to be.

 

Then the variable for $FILES should be "/home/yourusername/dada"

 

If you don't create the folder as "dada" then replace "dada" in that string to what ever folder name you create.