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Subsections

- 17.1 User commands
- 17.2 Owner commands
- 17.3 Moderator commands

# 17. Using Sympa commands

Users interact with Sympa, of course, when they send messages to one of the lists, but also indirectly through administrative requests (subscription, list of users, etc.).

This section describes administrative requests, as well as interaction modes in the case of private and moderated lists. Administrative requests are messages whose body contains commands understood by Sympa, one per line. These commands can be indiscriminately placed in the `Subject:` or in the body of the message. The `To:` address is generally the `sympadomain` alias, although it is also advisable to recognize the `listservdomain` address.

Example:

    From: pda@prism.uvsq.fr
    To: sympa@cru.fr

    LISTS
    INFO sympa-users
    REVIEW sympa-users
    QUIT

Most user commands can have three-letter abbreviations (e.g. `REV` instead of `REVIEW`).

# 17.1 User commands

- `HELP`

  Provides instructions for the use of Sympa commands. The result is the content of the `helpfile.tpl` template file.

- `INFO` listname

  Provides the welcome message for the specified list. The result is the content of `~welcome[.mime]`.

- `LISTS`

  Provides the names of lists managed by Sympa. This list can either be generated dynamically, using the `visibility` (see , page ) and `subject` list parameters (, page ), as well as `~sympa/expl/lists.header` and `~sympa/expl/lists.footer`). It can also be generated statically by including the contents of the `~sympa/expl/lists` file, which must be updated manually by the robot administrator.

- `REVIEW` listname

  Provides the parameters of the specified list (owner, subscription mode, etc.), as well as the addresses of subscribers if the run mode authorizes it. See the `review` parameter (, page ) for the configuration file of each list, which controls consultation authorizations for the subscriber list. Since subscriber addresses can be abused by spammers, it is strongly recommended that you only authorize owners to access the subscriber list.

- `WHICH`

  Returns the list of lists to which one is subscribed, as well as the configuration of his or her subscription to each of the lists (DIGEST, NOMAIL, SUMMARY, CONCEAL).

- `STATS` listname

  Provides statistics for the specified list: number of messages received, number of messages sent, megabytes received, megabytes sent. This is the contents of the `~sympa/expl/stats` file.

  Access to this command is controlled by `review` parameter.

- `INDEX` listname

  Provides index of archives for specified list. Access rights to this function are the same as for the `GET` command.

- `GET` listname archive

  To retrieve archives for list (see above). Access rights are the same as for the `REVIEW` command. See `review` parameter (, page ).

- `LAST` listname

  To receive the last message distributed in a list (see above). Access rights are the same as for the `GET` command.

- `SUBSCRIBE` listname firstname name

  Requests sign-up to the specified list. The firstname and name are optional. If the list is parameterized with a restricted subscription (see `subscribe` parameter, , page ), this command is sent to the list owner for approval.

- `INVITE` listname user@host name

  Invite someone to subscribe to the specified list. The name is optional. The command is similar to the `ADD` but the specified person is not added to the list but invited to subscribe to it in accordance with the `subscribe` parameter, , page ).

- `SIGNOFF` listname [ user@host ]

  Requests unsubscription from the specified list. `SIGNOFF *` means unsubscription from all lists.

- `SET` listname `DIGEST`

  Puts the subscriber in digest mode for the listname list. Instead of receiving mail from the list in a normal manner, the subscriber will periodically receive it in a DIGEST. This DIGEST compiles a group of messages from the list, using multipart/digest mime format.

  The sending period for these DIGESTS is regulated by the list owner using the `digest` parameter (see , page ). See the `SET LISTNAME MAIL` command (, page ) and the `reception` parameter (, page ).

- `SET` listname `SUMMARY`

  Puts the subscriber in summary mode for the listname list. Instead of receiving mail from the list in a normal manner, the subscriber will periodically receive the list of messages. This mode is very close to the DIGEST reception mode but the subscriber receives only the list of messages.

  This option is available only if the digest mode is set.

- `SET` listname `NOMAIL`

  Puts subscriber in nomail mode for the listname list. This mode is used when a subscriber no longer wishes to receive mail from the list, but nevertheless wishes to retain the possibility of posting to the list. This mode therefore prevents the subscriber from unsubscribing and subscribing later on. See the `SET LISTNAME MAIL` command (, page ) and the `reception` (, page ).

- `SET` listname `TXT`

  Puts subscriber in txt mode for the listname list. This mode is used when a subscriber wishes to receive mails sent in both format txt/html and txt/plain only in txt/plain format. See the `reception` (, page ).

- `SET` listname `HTML`

  Puts subscriber in html mode for the listname list. This mode is used when a subscriber wishes to receive mails sent in both format txt/html and txt/plain only in txt/html format. See the `reception` (, page ).

- `SET` listname `URLIZE`

  Puts subscriber in urlize mode for the listname list. This mode is used when a subscriber wishes not to receive attached files. The attached files are replaced by an URL leading to the file stored on the list site.

  See the `reception` (, page ).

- `SET` listname `NOT_ME`

  Puts subscriber in not_me mode for the listname list. This mode is used when a subscriber wishes not to receive back the message that he has sent to the list.

  See the `reception` (, page ).

- `SET` listname `MAIL`

  Puts the subscriber in normal mode (default) for the listname list. This option is mainly used to cancel the nomail, summary or digest modes. If the subscriber was in nomail mode, he or she will again receive mail from the list in a normal manner. See the `SET LISTNAME NOMAIL` command (, page ) and the `reception` parameter (, page ).

- `SET` listname `CONCEAL`

  Puts the subscriber in conceal mode for the listname list. The subscriber will then become invisible during `REVIEW` on this list. Only owners will see the whole subscriber list.

  See the `SET LISTNAME NOCONCEAL` command (, page ) and the `visibility` parameter (, page ).

- `SET` listname `NOCONCEAL`

  Puts the subscriber in noconceal mode (default) for listname list. The subscriber will then become visible during `REVIEW` of this list. The conceal mode is then cancelled.

  See `SET LISTNAME CONCEAL` command (, page ) and `visibility` parameter (, page ).

- `QUIT`

  Ends acceptance of commands. This can prove useful when the message contains additional lines, as for example in the case where a signature is automatically added by the user's mail program (MUA).

- `CONFIRM` key

  If the `send` parameter of a list is set to `privatekey, publickey` or `privateorpublickey`, messages are only distributed in the list after an authentication phase by return mail, using a one-time password (numeric key). For this authentication, the sender of the message is requested to post the ```CONFIRM` key'' command to Sympa.

- `QUIET`

  This command is used for silent (mute) processing: no performance report is returned for commands prefixed with `QUIET`).

# 17.2 Owner commands

Some administrative requests are only available to list owner(s). They are indispensable for all procedures in limited access mode, and to perform requests in place of users. These requests are:

- `ADD` listname user@host firstname name

  Add command similar to `SUBSCRIBE`

- `DELETE` listname user@host

  Delete command similar to `SIGNOFF`

- `REMIND` listname or `REMIND` *

  `REMIND` is used usually by list owner in order to send an individual service message to each subscriber. This message is make by parsing the remind.tpl file.

  `REMIND` is used to send to each subscriber of any list a single message with a summary of his/her subscriptions. In this case the message sent is constructed by parsing the global_remind.tpl file. For each list, Sympa tests whether the list is configured as hidden to each subscriber (parameter lparam visibility). By default the use of this command is restricted to listmasters. Processing may take a lot of time !

- `EXPIRE`

  listname age (in days) deadline (in days) (listname) (age (in days)) (deadline (in days)) explanatory text to be sent to the subscribers concerned

  This command activates an expiration process for former subscribers of the designated list. Subscribers for which no procedures have been enabled for more than age days receive the explanatory text appended to the `EXPIRE` command. This text, which must be adapted by the list owner for each subscriber population, should explain to the people receiving this message that they can update their subscription date so as to not be deleted from the subscriber list, within a deadline of deadline days.

  Past this deadline, the initiator of the `EXPIRE` command receives the list of persons who have not confirmed their subscription. It is up to the initiator to send Sympa the corresponding `DELETE` commands.

  Any operation updating the subscription date of an address serves as confirmation of subscription. This is also the case for `SET` option selecting commands and for the `SUBSCRIBE` subscription command itself. The fact of sending a message to the list also updates the subscription date.

  The explanatory message should contain at least 20 words; it is possible to delimit it by the word `QUIT`, in particular in order not to include a signature, which would systematically end the command message.

  A single expiration process can be activated at any given time for a given list. The `EXPIRE` command systematically gives rise to authentication by return mail. The `EXPIRE` command has no effect on the subscriber list.

- `EXPIREINDEX` listname

  Makes it possible, at any time, for an expiration process activated using an `EXPIRE` command to receive the list of addresses for which no enabling has been received.

- `EXPIREDEL` listname

  Deletion of a process activated using the `EXPIRE` command. The `EXPIREDEL` command has no effect on subscribers, but it possible to activate a new expiration process with new deadlines.

As above, these commands can be prefixed with `QUIET` to indicate processing without acknowledgment of receipt.

#
17.3 Moderator commands

If a list is moderated, Sympa only distributes messages enabled by one of its moderators (editors). Moderators have several methods for enabling message distribution, depending on the `send` list parameter (, page ).

- `DISTRIBUTE` listname key

  If the `send` parameter of a list is set to `editorkey` or `editorkeyonly`, each message queued for moderation is stored in a spool (see , page ), and linked to a key.

  The moderator must use this command to enable message distribution.

- `REJECT` listname key

  The message with the key key is deleted from the moderation spool of the listname list.

- `MODINDEX` listname

  This command returns the list of messages queued for moderation for the listname list.

  The result is presented in the form of an index, which supplies, for each message, its sending date, its sender, its size, and its associated key, as well as all messages in the form of a digest.

See also the recommendations for moderators.

Next: Index Up: Sympa Mailing Lists Management Software version Previous: 16. Antivirus Contents Index