[Mailman-Users] Re: Migrating Mailman lists from one server to another

[Mark Sapiro]

On 11/22/20 5:51 AM, Tony Stocker wrote:
> On Sat, Nov 21, 2020 at 12:47 PM Mark Sapiro  wrote:
>>
>> Basically, just "copy and paste" the /var/lib/mailman/lists directory
>> from the old machine to the new. Also see .
>>
> Will doing this also copy the config files that maintain the passwords
> for the various lists? So that our mailing list maintainers will be
> able to login as normal to manage things? What about the password
> that's used to create new mailing lists? Will it be copied as well
> when I copy that directory?


Assuming you don't use some kind of custom MemberAdaptor, all list
specific settings including list admin and moderator passwords, list
membership, member options, etc. are in the lists/LISTNAME/config.pck file.

The site admin and list creator passwords are files defined as
SITE_PW_FILE and LISTCREATOR_PW_FILE in Defaults.py/mm_cfg.py. The
defaults for these are /var/lib/mailman/data/adm.pw and
/var/lib/mailman/data/creator.pw. Also in /var/lib/mailman/data/ are
aliases and maybe virtual mappings for Mailman-Postfix integration, but
these can be updated on the new server by running Mailman's
bin/genaliases after moving the lists/* files. Other thinggs in data/
are installation specific and should not be moved.

-- 
Mark Sapiro The highway is for gamblers,
San Francisco Bay Area, Californiabetter use your sense - B. Dylan
--
Mailman-Users mailing list -- mailman-users@python.org
To unsubscribe send an email to mailman-users-le...@python.org
https://mail.python.org/mailman3/lists/mailman-users.python.org/
Mailman FAQ: http://wiki.list.org/x/AgA3
Security Policy: http://wiki.list.org/x/QIA9
Searchable Archives: https://www.mail-archive.com/mailman-users@python.org/
https://mail.python.org/archives/list/mailman-users@python.org/

[Mailman-Users] Re: Migrating Mailman lists from one server to another

[Mark Sapiro]

On 11/20/20 5:18 AM, Tony Stocker wrote:
> We are in the process of upgrading our mailing server with a new
> machine. This system is also running an updated version of the
> operating system (RHEL-8 vs RHEL-6.)
> 
> We have numerous Mailman mailing lists, along with their associated
> configurations, and archives. Fortunately, the archives are located on
> a networked file system, so we don't have to move those files.


OK.


> However, I would like to be able to just "copy and paste", if you
> will, the entire configuration from one server to the other so that we
> don't have to reconfigure anything. Is this possible? If so, are there
> any detailed instructions for it posted anywhere?


Basically, just "copy and paste" the /var/lib/mailman/lists directory
from the old machine to the new. Also see .

-- 
Mark Sapiro The highway is for gamblers,
San Francisco Bay Area, Californiabetter use your sense - B. Dylan
--
Mailman-Users mailing list -- mailman-users@python.org
To unsubscribe send an email to mailman-users-le...@python.org
https://mail.python.org/mailman3/lists/mailman-users.python.org/
Mailman FAQ: http://wiki.list.org/x/AgA3
Security Policy: http://wiki.list.org/x/QIA9
Searchable Archives: https://www.mail-archive.com/mailman-users@python.org/
https://mail.python.org/archives/list/mailman-users@python.org/

[Mailman-Users] Re: Migrating Mailman Lists from One Server to Another

[Onyeibo Oku]

Hi Mark,

This is now mostly resolved.
Thank you.

I am observing a new phenomenon after the migration. Perhaps I should
start a different thread for that.

Regards
Onyeibo

> On Fri, 30 Oct 2020 07:55:02 -0700
> Mark Sapiro  wrote:

> On 10/30/20 6:37 AM, Onyeibo Oku wrote:
> > There is one unresolved List however.
> > 
> > One particular List has a public archive. 
> > All attempts to access the archive via the web gives me "403
> > Forbidden. You don't have permission to access this resource"
> > 
> > When I flip the archiving to "private", it works fine ... they
> > become accessible via admin interface. Going back to the original
> > setting (Public) makes the archives inaccessible again.
> > 
> > What could be wrong?  
> 
> 
> The /var/lib/mailman/archives/private/ directory is not searchable by
> the web server. It should be mode o+x, or if it is o-x, it must be
> owned by the web server user. See the warning box at
> .
> 
--
Mailman-Users mailing list -- mailman-users@python.org
To unsubscribe send an email to mailman-users-le...@python.org
https://mail.python.org/mailman3/lists/mailman-users.python.org/
Mailman FAQ: http://wiki.list.org/x/AgA3
Security Policy: http://wiki.list.org/x/QIA9
Searchable Archives: https://www.mail-archive.com/mailman-users@python.org/
https://mail.python.org/archives/list/mailman-users@python.org/

[Mailman-Users] Re: Migrating Mailman Lists from One Server to Another

[Mark Sapiro]

On 10/30/20 6:37 AM, Onyeibo Oku wrote:
> There is one unresolved List however.
> 
> One particular List has a public archive. 
> All attempts to access the archive via the web gives me "403 Forbidden.
> You don't have permission to access this resource"
> 
> When I flip the archiving to "private", it works fine ... they become
> accessible via admin interface. Going back to the original
> setting (Public) makes the archives inaccessible again.
> 
> What could be wrong?


The /var/lib/mailman/archives/private/ directory is not searchable by
the web server. It should be mode o+x, or if it is o-x, it must be owned
by the web server user. See the warning box at
.

-- 
Mark Sapiro The highway is for gamblers,
San Francisco Bay Area, Californiabetter use your sense - B. Dylan
--
Mailman-Users mailing list -- mailman-users@python.org
To unsubscribe send an email to mailman-users-le...@python.org
https://mail.python.org/mailman3/lists/mailman-users.python.org/
Mailman FAQ: http://wiki.list.org/x/AgA3
Security Policy: http://wiki.list.org/x/QIA9
Searchable Archives: https://www.mail-archive.com/mailman-users@python.org/
https://mail.python.org/archives/list/mailman-users@python.org/

[Mailman-Users] Re: Migrating Mailman Lists from One Server to Another

[Onyeibo Oku]

There is one unresolved List however.

One particular List has a public archive. 
All attempts to access the archive via the web gives me "403 Forbidden.
You don't have permission to access this resource"

When I flip the archiving to "private", it works fine ... they become
accessible via admin interface. Going back to the original
setting (Public) makes the archives inaccessible again.

What could be wrong?

Regards
Onyeibo

On Fri, 30 Oct 2020 13:22:37 +0100
"Onyeibo Oku"  wrote:

> Hi Mark,
> 
> On Thu Oct 29, 2020 at 5:14 PM WAT, Mark Sapiro wrote:
> > On 10/29/20 3:00 AM, Onyeibo Oku wrote:
> >
> > check_perms should make them right. The important thing is group
> > permissions on files should be `rw` and directories `rws` and the
> > group should be Mailman's group. If check_perms says things are OK
> > and there are still permission errors, it is probably a SELinux or
> > apparmor issue.
> >
> > Basically, the first step is to install Mailman and get it working
> > on the new server. Once you have a working Mailman installation on
> > the new server, for each list you want to move, create the
> > /var/lib/mailman/LISTNAME directory on the new server and move the
> > /var/lib/mailman/LISTNAME/config.pck file to it. That should be all
> > you need to move the list. For archives, create the
> > /var/lib/mailman/archives/private/LISTNAME.mbox directory and move
> > the /var/lib/mailman/archives/private/LISTNAME.mbox/LISTNAME.mbox
> > file. Then run `bin/arch --wipe LISTNAME` as the mailman user to
> > rebuild the pipermail archive.
> >  
> It worked!  It worked!
> Thank you so very much.
> 
> Regards
> Onyeibo
> --
> Mailman-Users mailing list -- mailman-users@python.org
> To unsubscribe send an email to mailman-users-le...@python.org
> https://mail.python.org/mailman3/lists/mailman-users.python.org/
> Mailman FAQ: http://wiki.list.org/x/AgA3
> Security Policy: http://wiki.list.org/x/QIA9
> Searchable Archives:
> https://www.mail-archive.com/mailman-users@python.org/
> https://mail.python.org/archives/list/mailman-users@python.org/
--
Mailman-Users mailing list -- mailman-users@python.org
To unsubscribe send an email to mailman-users-le...@python.org
https://mail.python.org/mailman3/lists/mailman-users.python.org/
Mailman FAQ: http://wiki.list.org/x/AgA3
Security Policy: http://wiki.list.org/x/QIA9
Searchable Archives: https://www.mail-archive.com/mailman-users@python.org/
https://mail.python.org/archives/list/mailman-users@python.org/

[Mailman-Users] Re: Migrating Mailman Lists from One Server to Another

[Onyeibo Oku]

Hi Mark,

On Thu Oct 29, 2020 at 5:14 PM WAT, Mark Sapiro wrote:
> On 10/29/20 3:00 AM, Onyeibo Oku wrote:
>
> check_perms should make them right. The important thing is group
> permissions on files should be `rw` and directories `rws` and the group
> should be Mailman's group. If check_perms says things are OK and there
> are still permission errors, it is probably a SELinux or apparmor issue.
>
> Basically, the first step is to install Mailman and get it working on
> the new server. Once you have a working Mailman installation on the new
> server, for each list you want to move, create the
> /var/lib/mailman/LISTNAME directory on the new server and move the
> /var/lib/mailman/LISTNAME/config.pck file to it. That should be all you
> need to move the list. For archives, create the
> /var/lib/mailman/archives/private/LISTNAME.mbox directory and move the
> /var/lib/mailman/archives/private/LISTNAME.mbox/LISTNAME.mbox file. Then
> run `bin/arch --wipe LISTNAME` as the mailman user to rebuild the
> pipermail archive.
>
It worked!  It worked!
Thank you so very much.

Regards
Onyeibo
--
Mailman-Users mailing list -- mailman-users@python.org
To unsubscribe send an email to mailman-users-le...@python.org
https://mail.python.org/mailman3/lists/mailman-users.python.org/
Mailman FAQ: http://wiki.list.org/x/AgA3
Security Policy: http://wiki.list.org/x/QIA9
Searchable Archives: https://www.mail-archive.com/mailman-users@python.org/
https://mail.python.org/archives/list/mailman-users@python.org/

[Mailman-Users] Re: Migrating Mailman Lists from One Server to Another

[Mark Sapiro]

On 10/29/20 3:00 AM, Onyeibo Oku wrote:
>
> I also tried the steps illustrated on
> https://debian-administration.org/article/567/Migrating_mailman_lists.
> That gave me lots of errors pertaining to permissions despite running
> 'check_perms -f' (makes me wonder what the recommended
> permissions/ownership for files in /var/lib/mailman/ would be).

check_perms should make them right. The important thing is group
permissions on files should be `rw` and directories `rws` and the group
should be Mailman's group. If check_perms says things are OK and there
are still permission errors, it is probably a SELinux or apparmor issue.


> In the
> end, the lists were visible via the web interface but I couldn't log
> into administration from there (I got an error page ... something about
> Mailman being buggy).  Some other pages wouldn't open too.


When you get the "we hit a bug" page, you have to look at Mailman's
error log to see what the issue is.

Did you see https://wiki.list.org/x/4030682 and the two posts linked
from its first paragraph?

Basically, the first step is to install Mailman and get it working on
the new server. Once you have a working Mailman installation on the new
server, for each list you want to move, create the
/var/lib/mailman/LISTNAME directory on the new server and move the
/var/lib/mailman/LISTNAME/config.pck file to it. That should be all you
need to move the list. For archives, create the
/var/lib/mailman/archives/private/LISTNAME.mbox directory and move the
/var/lib/mailman/archives/private/LISTNAME.mbox/LISTNAME.mbox file. Then
run `bin/arch --wipe LISTNAME` as the mailman user to rebuild the
pipermail archive.

-- 
Mark Sapiro The highway is for gamblers,
San Francisco Bay Area, Californiabetter use your sense - B. Dylan
--
Mailman-Users mailing list -- mailman-users@python.org
To unsubscribe send an email to mailman-users-le...@python.org
https://mail.python.org/mailman3/lists/mailman-users.python.org/
Mailman FAQ: http://wiki.list.org/x/AgA3
Security Policy: http://wiki.list.org/x/QIA9
Searchable Archives: https://www.mail-archive.com/mailman-users@python.org/
https://mail.python.org/archives/list/mailman-users@python.org/