Mailman List Configurations

In this example, we monitor and report problems with GNU Mailman list configurations.  We might have default policies on subscription or moderation, for example.  If one or more lists were misconfigured to violate those policies, we would want report of that.

The MailmanListConfigs script might send an alert message like the following:

                                PIKT ALERT
                         Fri Sep 23 01:19:02 2005
                                  moscow

WARNING:
    MailmanListConfigs
        Check and report problems with Mailman list configurations.

        emf-exec: send_reminders = True
        emf-exec: subscribe_policy = 2
        emf-exec: default_member_moderation = False
        emf-lead: moderator = ['emfmail@earlymusichicago.org']
        emf-lead: send_reminders = True
        emf-lead: default_member_moderation = False
        emf-lead: archive_private = 0
        pikt-users: generic_nonmember_action = 3
        pikt-workers: generic_nonmember_action = 3

The script follows.

MailmanListConfigs

        init
                status active
                level warning
                task "Monitor and report problems with Mailman list configurations."
                input proc "for list in `=mailmanbindir/list_lists | =tail +2 |
                            =awk '{print $1}'`; do echo LIST:$list;
                            =mailmanbindir/config_list -o - $list 2>/dev/null; done"

        rule    // bypass comments
                if $inlin =~ "^#"
                        next
                fi

        rule    // get the list name
                if $inlin =~ "^LIST:(.+)$"
                        set $list = $lower($1)
                        next
                fi

#ifndef debug
        rule    // bypass auxiliary and test lists
                if $list =~ "mailman|test"
                        next
                fi
#endifdef

        rule    // send_reminders
                if $inlin =~~ "^send_reminders = (.+)"
                        set $option = $lower($1)
                        if $option =~~ "1|true|yes"
                                output mail "$list: $inlin"
                        fi
                fi

        rule    // send_welcome_msg
                if $inlin =~~ "^send_welcome_msg = (.+)"
                        set $option = $lower($1)
                        if $option =~~ "0|false|no"
                                output mail "$list: $inlin"
                        fi
                fi
        rule    // send_goodbye_msg
                if $inlin =~~ "^send_goodbye_msg = (.+)"
                        set $option = $lower($1)
                        if $option =~~ "0|false|no"
                                output mail "$list: $inlin"
                        fi
                fi

        rule    // admin_immed_notify
                if $inlin =~~ "^admin_immed_notify = (.+)"
                        set $option = $lower($1)
                        if $option =~~ "0|false|no"
                                output mail "$list: $inlin"
                        fi
                fi

        rule    // admin_notify_mchanges
                if $inlin =~~ "^admin_notify_mchanges = (.+)"
                        set $option = $lower($1)
                        if $option =~~ "0|false|no"
                                output mail "$list: $inlin"
                        fi
                fi

        rule    // advertised
                if $inlin =~~ "^advertised = (.+)"
                        set $option = $lower($1)
                        if    $option =~~ "1|true|yes"
                        // these lists are public
                           && $list !~~ "pikt-users|pikt-workers"
                                output mail "$list: $inlin"
                        fi
                fi

        rule    // subscribe_policy
                if $inlin =~~ "^subscribe_policy = (.+)"
                        set $option = $lower($1)
                        if $option !~~ "1"      // 1 = Confirm (only)
                                output mail "$list: $inlin"
                        fi
                fi

        rule    // unsubscribe_policy
                if $inlin =~~ "^unsubscribe_policy = (.+)"
                        set $option = $lower($1)
                        if    $option =~~ "1|true|yes"  // 1 is require approval
                           && $list !~ "emf-announce"
                                output mail "$list: $inlin"
                        fi
                fi

        rule    // private_roster
                if $inlin =~~ "^private_roster = (.+)"
                        set $option = $lower($1)
                        if $option =~~ "0"      // 0 = Anyone
                                output mail "$list: $inlin"
                        elsif    $option =~~ "1"        // 1 = List members
                              && $list !~~ "emf-exec|emf-lead"
                                output mail "$list: $inlin"
                        fi
                fi

        rule    // default_member_moderation
                if $inlin =~~ "^default_member_moderation = (.+)"
                        set $option = $lower($1)
                        if $option =~~ "0|false|no"
                                output mail "$list: $inlin"
                        fi
                fi

        rule    // member_moderation_action
                if $inlin =~~ "^member_moderation_action = (.+)"
                        set $option = $lower($1)
                        if $option !~~ "0"      // 0 = Hold
                                output mail "$list: $inlin"
                        fi
                fi

        rule    // generic_nonmember_action
                if $inlin =~~ "^generic_nonmember_action = (.+)"
                        set $option = $lower($1)
                        if $option !~~ "1"      // 0 = Hold
                                output mail "$list: $inlin"
                        fi
                fi

        rule    // archive
                if $inlin =~~ "^archive = (.+)"
                        set $option = $lower($1)
                        // archive all lists
                        if $option =~~ "0|false|no"
                                output mail "$list: $inlin"
                        fi
                fi

        rule    // archive_private
                if $inlin =~~ "^archive_private = (.+)"
                        set $option = $lower($1)
                        if    $option !~~ "1"   // 1 = private
                        // allow public archive for these lists
                           && $list !~~ "pikt-users"
                                output mail "$list: $inlin"
                        fi
                fi

[... other rules omitted ...]

In each rule, we consider just one configuration parameter, for example default_member_moderation.  If an option does not match the desired setting, or if it matches an undesired setting, we report that.  Note how we set exceptions for certain lists in the unsubscribe_policy and private_roster rules.

This is just one program example.  You could write new scripts, for example to:  report changes in Mailman list memberships, report failures to archive list messages, etc.

For more examples, see Samples.