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Last update: 22 Jan 1997
There are now two versions of LISTSERV: A "Classic" version and a "Lite" version. For a description of the differences between LISTSERV Classic and LISTSERV Lite, please see the URL http://www.lsoft.com/listserv-lite.html.
LISTSERV Lite is user-supported, via the mailing list
Please do not send questions regarding LISTSERV Lite to L-Soft's normal support addresses.
For more information on PMDF®, write to Sales@INNOSOFT.COM or call +1 (818) 919-3600. MX is a free product, available via anonymous FTP from FTP.SPC.EDU and a number of other sites.
NJE mode requires the JNET® software package. JNET® is assumed to be installed if the JANSHR logical name is defined. JANSHR points to the JNET® shareable image. JNET® does not need to have been started for NJE support to be installed. However, the JNET® logical names should be defined before starting the installation.
TCP/IP mode requires one of several TCP/IP packages. Like JNET®, TCP/IP packages are identified by looking for library or shareable image files. Similarly, your TCP/IP packages does not need to have been started for TCP/IP support to be installed, but the logical names do need to be defined. If multiple TCP/IP libraries are found, you will be required to choose one. You should choose the TCP/IP package that will be running when LISTSERV is running in TCP/IP mode. If you later decide to switch TCP/IP packages, you will need to reinstall LISTSERV.
UIC = the UIC specified
Default = the root device and directory specified.
Access = Full Batch, No Network, No Local, No Dialup, and No Remote.
CPUTIME = 0 (no CPU Time limit)
PGFLQUO = 32768 (for VAX) 65536 (for AXP)
WSDEF = 1024
WSQUOTA = 2048
WSEXTENT= 16384
Privileges (Authorized and Default)
= SYSNAM,SYSPRV,SYSLCK,TMPMBX[,EXQUOTA][,WORLD]
The UIC of the LISTSERV account is used as the owner UIC for all files
created under LISTSERV_ROOT. Thus, a user with the same UIC as LISTSERV
will have full access to the LISTSERV files. Similarly, users in the same
UIC group as LISTSERV will have group access to the LISTSERV files. It is
recommended that LISTSERV be given a unique UIC in a group that is not
populated by (nonprivileged) interactive users.By default, LISTSERV's login directory is the root of the LISTSERV directory tree. This is not a requirement. The only requirement for LISTSERV's login directory is that LISTSERV needs to have write access and enough disk quota (or EXQUOTA privilege) to create its .LOG files.
The access restrictions on the LISTSERV account are recommended but not required. Full batch access is required, since the LISTSERV detached process is created by SUBMITting a batch job under a username of LISTSERV.
If disk quotas are enabled on the device containing the LISTSERV root directory, LISTSERV will either need the EXQUOTA privilege or a disk quota entry on that device.
In addition to the privileges listed above, you may need to enable some privileges for LISTSERV-NJE. The JNET® "Application Programmer's Reference" lists the privileges required for a program that uses the JNET® Application Program Interface. If you are planning to run LISTSERV in NJE mode, LISTSERV will also need the privileges listed. For versions 3.5 and 3.6 of JNET®, the only additional privilege required is WORLD, which is automatically added when you select NJE support.
LISTSERV_ROOT:[000000] - where the .EXE and startup files are
located.
LISTSERV_ROOT:[MAIN] - where most data files are located. Also,
used as a work area.
LISTSERV_ROOT:[SPOOL] - Incoming and outgoing mail spool directory.
LISTSERV_ROOT:[TMP] - Temporary (scratch) file directory.
Once the installation is finished, if MX is already running and you wish to start the LISTSERV agent, use the following commands:
Note: You will need to reset the MX ROUTER process every time you create a new list.
If PMDF® version 4.2 or higher is found, PMDF_CHANNEL.EXE will be copied to LISTSERV_ROOT:[PMDF] and LSV_CHANNEL_MASTER.COM will be copied to PMDF_COM:. LSV_CHANNEL_MASTER.COM is executed by PMDF® to handle the LISTSERV channel; it contains the line:
listserv: listserv@LISTSERV
owner-listserv: owner-listserv@LISTSERVand for each of the mailing lists:
listname: listname@LISTSERV
owner-listname: owner-listname@LISTSERV
listname-request: listname-request@LISTSERV
listname-server: listname-server@LISTSERV
listname-search-request: listname-search-request@LISTSERVYou will need to add these five aliases for each new mailing list you create.
The LISTSERV_ROOT:[PMDF] directory will be created if PMDF® support is installed. This directory should contain the following PMDF-related files:
LINK_PMDF_CHANNEL.COM - used to link a new version of
PMDF_CHANNEL.EXE. Needs to be done each
time you install a new version of PMDF®.
LSV_MAILIN_RTN.OBJ - object code for LISTSERV interface routines
PMDF.OPT - an options file specifying the PMDF®
shareable image.
PMDF_CHANNEL.C - C source code for PMDF_CHANNEL.EXE.
PMDF_CHANNEL.EXE - LISTSERV channel program.
PMDF_CHANNEL.OBJ - object code for PMDF_CHANNEL.EXE
Note: PMDF_CHANNEL.EXE will need to be relinked each time you install a
new version of PMDF®. The following command will relink
PMDF_CHANNEL.EXE:
CREATE_LISTSERV.COM - used to create the server process.
GO.COM - executed by the server process to set up
its environment.
LISTSERV_CONFIGURE.COM - the server configuration utility.
LISTSERV_INSTALL.DAT - lists the files to be installed at startup.
LISTSERV__STARTUP.COM - the real startup file. It is executed by
SYS$STARTUP:LISTSERV_STARTUP.COM.
STOP_LISTSERV.COM - send a STOP command to the server.
LISTSERV__STARTUP.COM will take a comma-separated list of options
including LOGICALS, to define the logical names; INSTALL, to install the
.EXEs; and START, to start the server process. If no options are
specified, all three options are chosen.GO.COM references a couple of files in LISTSERV_FILES_DIR (by default LISTSERV_ROOT:[MAIN]): SYSTEM_CONFIG.DAT and SITE_CONFIG.DAT. These files contain process-table logical names that are defined for the server process. SYSTEM_CONFIG.DAT contains the default values. SITE_CONFIG.DAT can be used to override the defaults. You should confine your modifications to SITE_CONFIG.DAT. If SITE_CONFIG.DAT has not been created at install time, the installation will create a new one based on some questions asked. The installation will ask you to specify a value for the following logical names:
NODE - the local node name. If you specify an Internet host
name, LISTSERV-TCP/IP will be enabled. If you
specify a BITNET nodeid (without the .BITNET),
LISTSERV-NJE will be enabled.
MYDOMAIN - Lists the possible host names for this system. If
this is a BITNET site, you should include the
nodeid and nodeid.BITNET forms.
LOCAL - Lists wildcarded host names that identify the
"local" mail.
TZONE - the Greenwich Mean Time offset for your location.
The value should take the form +hhmm or -hhmm.
For example, -0500 is the GMT offset for Eastern
Standard time. Timezone abbreviations such as
EST, CET, JST, etc. will also work.
CREATEPW - the password required to create a list.
STOREPW - the password required for other privileged
commands.
POSTMASTER - lists the addresses of people who manage LISTSERV
on this system. If a user appears in the list,
they are authorized to send privileged commands.
IF a user appears in the list, but not after a
"quiet:". they will be notified of server errors.
STARTMSG - lists the addresses of users to be notified when
the server starts.
MYORG - your "organization name." This appears on the
"From:" line of messages from LISTSERV, so you
should try to keep it short to avoid a multi-line
"From:."
LISTSERV_CONFIGURE.COM can be used to update the values stored in
SITE_CONFIG.DAT. If you make modifications while the LISTSERV process is
running, you will need to restart it ($ LCMD STOP REBOOT) before the
changes will take effect.To start LISTSERV at system startup, you should add the following command to the system startup command procedure:
LCMD.EXE is used to send commands directly to the local server (instead using mail or going going through the NJE interface). Commands sent via LCMD are executed ahead of commands received via mail or NJE files; this can be particularly useful when the server is backlogged. LCMD.EXE requires SYSPRV and SYSLCK. However, if you wish to allow general users to use LCMD, you can install it with those privileges. LCMD.EXE also needs to be able to create files within LISTSERV_SPOOL_DIR. The default LISTSERV_SPOOL_DIR, LISTSERV_ROOT:[SPOOL] is created with a SYSTEM protection of RWE, allowing users with SYSPRV to create files within it. If you relocate LISTSERV_SPOOL_DIR, you will need to keep SYSTEM:RWE protection on the directory file.
LCMD must be defined as a DCL verb. If you choose not to add LCMD to DCLTABLES, you will need to add it to your process command table with the following command:
In addition to adding LCMD to DCLTABLES, the installation will add the help for LCMD to the help library of your choice. The installation displays the names of the help libraries accessed by the DCL HELP command: SYS$HELP:HELPLIB.HLB, HELP_LIBRARY, HELP_LIBRARY_1, etc. The help for LCMD will be available from DCL ($ HELP LCMD) if you choose one of these libraries. The help text for LCMD, LISTSERV_ROOT:[000000]LCMD.HLP, is provided if you later decide to add or relocate the LCMD help.
Just like PAKs, LAKs are not included in the VMSINSTAL kit and must be installed separately. However, since the LAK manager is part of LISTSERV, you must install LISTSERV (LSV018) before you can install the LAK. Once LISTSERV is installed, run:
Once the server is ready for production use (that is, once you have installed a permanent License Activation Key, and once you have arranged for LISTSERV to be started from the system startup procedure), you should register it with L-Soft by filling in the enclosed registration form, and returning it to Support@LSOFT.COM. Registering the server is necessary to broadcast its existence to the other LISTSERV servers. Once you have registered, your server will be sent periodic updates about the lists hosted by other LISTSERV sites, among other things, and, similarly, other LISTSERV sites will receive information about the public lists you are hosting. Here is the registration form (the fields you must fill in are represented as XXXXXXXX, or a suggested value is provided):
------------------------------- Cut here --------------------------------
:node.XXXXXXXX ! - Internet hostname if running in TCP/IP mode
! - BITNET nodeid if running in NJE mode
:userid.LISTSERV ! Username under which LISTSERV runs
:net.XXXXXXXX ! BITNET for NJE mode, Internet for TCP/IP mode
:site.XXXXXXXX ! University of XYZ, city, state, country
:country.XX ! Two-letter ISO country code
:system.OpenVMS Vx.y ! VMS version
:machine.XXXXXXXX ! Hardware - AXP 3000-600, VAX 9000, etc
:contact.XXXXXXXX ! Contact person, in the following format:
! (Joe Manager) JOE@XYZ.EDU (+1 301 871.2727)
:type.VMS ! Do not change this - must be "VMS"
:version.1.8c ! Version you are currently running
:backbone.XXXXXXXX ! YES or NO, depending on whether you want to
! participate in the LISTSERV backbone; L-Soft
! will advise you on this keyword.
------------------------------- Cut here --------------------------------$ MAIL MAIL> send newlist.create To: mx%"listserv@xyz.edu" Subj: MAIL>If you have questions about list creation, keywords, list management and other high-level or system-independent LISTSERV topics, the best place to ask them is the LSTOWN-L list, an open forum of LISTSERV list owners.
Please note that, for security reasons, LISTSERV will not create archive directories automatically. You must create the directory and set the protections before storing the list. LISTSERV will need RWED access to the directory; since LISTSERV runs with SYSPRV, it is sufficient to have S:RWED protection on the directory.
For assistance with problems specific to evaluation kits, join the LSTSRV-E list or contact Support@LSOFT.COM for a prompt reply. Please don't forget to tell us which mail system (PMDF® or MX), transport (JNET®, MultiNet®, etc) and which version of VMS™ you are running!
B. FTP a copy of the xxxx.LIST file from the VM system, in ASCII mode. Note that you must grab the file as it appears on the VM server's "A-disk". If you send a REVIEW command to the VM LISTSERV, you may be sent a file called xxxx.LIST, but it is not suitable for migration: among other things, it will not list subscribers with the "conceal" flag.
C. If the list is archived, edit the xxxx.LIST file (which is an ordinary text file) to insert a suitable directory name in the "Notebook=" keyword (see example below). Do not modify the lines with subscriber names! The only lines you may edit at this stage are the ones starting with an asterisk.
D. Start LISTSERV on VMS. It will issue a warning about incorrect list format, and automatically convert it to the proper RMS attributes.
------------------------------- Cut here -------------------------------- PUT SAMPLE.LIST PW=CCCCCCCC * * Title of sample LISTSERV list * * Review= Public Subscription= Open Send= Public * Notify= Yes Reply-to= List,Respect Files= No * Stats= Normal,Private Validate= No * Notebook= Yes,DISK2:[LISTS.PUBLIC],Monthly,Public * * Owner= someone@somewhere.EDU * * PW= XXXXXXXX ------------------------------- Cut here --------------------------------
Once you have constructed a list header file, and sent it to your LISTSERV, you need to instruct your mail system to route mail for that new list to the LISTSERV interface. Refer to the MX and PMDF® sections of the present document for more information about this.
While there is no LISTSERV command to delete a list, the procedure is quite simple. Log in to the listserv account (or any other account with administrative privileges in LISTSERV's directories), copy or archive any files (list archives, etc.) that you want to keep to a safe place, and then use the VMS 'DELETE' command to delete the list file. For instance, if you are deleting a list called 'TEST.LIST', simply 'DELETE TEST.LIST;*' from LISTSERV's 'MAIN' directory. Optionally you may also remove the PMDF aliases, but once the '.LIST' file is gone, it has been deleted as far as LISTSERV is concerned.
In general, the three systems are compatible, with the understanding that the temporary system does not include all the possible options. However, the mechanism for registering files (defining them to the file server system) is different, and particularly if you are migrating to the unix version from VM, you should be aware of the differences.
With the traditional system, you create files called "xxxx FILELIST", which contain definitions for all the files belonging to a particular archive. With the temporary system, you store these definitions in a file called "site.catalog", in the LISTSERV "home" directory (by the Makefile default, this directory is LSVROOT/home). You create files called xxxx.catalog and register them in site.catalog in order to provide access to them. Please be aware that there are major differences between the way files are registered on VM and workstation systems as many list owners use (or are used to) a VM server with different conventions.
To register a new file to the server, you add a line to the SITE.CATALOG file in the [MAIN] directory (create it if it did not exist). Do not modify the SYSTEM.CATALOG file, as it is part of LISTSERV and may be replaced when you apply service. Here is what a typical SITE.CATALOG entry looks like:
MY.FILE MY.FILE.FILES:[XYZ] XXX YYYThe first item, MY.FILE, is the name by which the file is known to LISTSERV. That is, the users will use GET MY.FILE to order a copy of that file. The name should only contain one period. Only the first 8 characters of the name and the first 8 characters of the extension are shown by the INDEX command. This restriction will be removed with the new file server system.
The second item, MY.FILE.FILES:[XYZ], is the name LISTSERV will use for the actual VMS file: filename, period, extension, period, directory. The strange format is because LISTSERV uses an operating system abstraction layer for file accesses, where all system-dependent attributes are relegated to the last item. Note that the directory must be created before you register the file. For security reasons, LISTSERV will not create the directory (or set the protections/ACLs) for you. Since LISTSERV will normally need RWED access to these files, and runs with SYSPRV, it is suggested that you set things so that new files receive a protection of S:RWED.
The third and fourth items are "File Access Codes" (FACs). The first is for read accesses, and the second for writing. The following file access codes are available:
- ALL: universal access.
- CTL: LISTSERV administrator only.
- N/A: no access. This is normally used (in SYSTEM.CATALOG) for files that are maintained internally by LISTSERV and should not be updated using the file server functions, but you can use it for your own purposes as well.
- PRIVATE(xxx): only members of the xxx list have access.
- OWNER(xxx): only the owners of the xxx list have access.
- SERVICE(xxx): only users in the service area of the xxx list have access.
- NOTEBOOK(xxx): same access as the archives of the xxx list.
- user@host: the user in question is granted access.
Except for ALL and CTL, which must occur on their own, you can specify multiple file access code entries, separated by a comma with no intervening space. For instance:
MY.FILE MY.FILE.FILES:[XYZ] JOE@XYZ.EDU,JACK@XYZ.EDU,PRIVATE(XYZ-L) CTL
defines a file that Joe, Jack and the subscribers of the XYZ-L list can order via the GET command, but that only the LISTSERV administrator can update.
IMPORTANT: LISTSERV does not set file protection attributes, ACLs, etc. These attributes apply to LISTSERV commands (GET, PUT, INDEX) only; it is your responsibility to protect the actual VMS file by setting the owner UIC, protection and DEFAULT ACL on the directory in which it is created.
| listserv.memo | A General Introduction to LISTSERV |
| listpres.memo | A presentation of LISTSERV for the general user |
| listownr.memo | A List Owner's Manual for LISTSERV 1.8c |
| listkeyw.memo | A manual of the various list header keywords and what they do |
| listall.refcard | A quick reference card for LISTSERV commands |
A Site Manager's Operations Manual for LISTSERV 1.8c is available from L-Soft at the URL
And finally, a General Users Guide for LISTSERV is available from L-Soft at the URL
Additionally, the following files are available for downloading from L-Soft's anonymous ftp site, ftp.lsoft.com :
LISTSERV for the non-technical user
(superseded by the new General User's Guide)
=====================================================================
| NSC93US.PS | PostScript(tm) version formatted for 8-1/2" x 11" paper |
| NSC93A4.PS | PostScript(tm) version formatted for A4 paper |
| NSC93.MEMO | Plain text version |
There are several mailing lists dedicated to the support of LISTSERV.
| LSTSRV-L@SEARN.SUNET.SE | for LISTSERV maintainers and interested list owners |
| LSTOWN-L@SEARN.SUNET.SE | for LISTSERV list owners |
| LSTSRV-E@SEARN.SUNET.SE | for LISTSERV evaluation kit users |