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Next: 5. WWSympa Up: Sympa Mailing Lists Management Software Previous: 3. Installing Sympa   Contents   Index

Subsections


4. sympa.conf parameters

The /etc/sympa.conf configuration file contains numerous parameters which are read on start-up of Sympa. If you change this file, do not forget that you will need to restart Sympa afterwards.

The /etc/sympa.conf file contains directives in the following format:

keyword value

Comments start with the # character at the beginning of a line. Empty lines are also considered as comments and are ignored. There should only be one directive per line, but their order in the file is of no importance.

4.1 Site customization


4.1.1 host

This keyword is mandatory. It is the domain name used in the From: header in replies to administrative requests.

Example: host listhost.cru.fr


4.1.2 email

(Default value: sympa)

Username (the part of the address preceding the @ sign) used in the From: header in replies to administrative requests.

Example: email listserv


4.1.3 listmaster

The list of e-mail addresses of listmasters (users authorized to perform global server commands).

Example: listmaster postmaster@cru.fr,root@home.cru.fr


4.1.4 WWSympa_url

(Default value: http://<host>/wws)

This is the root URL of WWSympa.

Example: WWSympa_url https://my.server/wws


4.1.5 cookie

This string is used to generate MD5 authentication keys. It allows generated authentication keys to differ from one site to another. It is also used for reversible encryption of user passwords stored in the database. The presence of this string is one reason why access to sympa.conf needs to be restricted to the Sympa user.

Note that changing this parameter will break all http cookies stored in users' browsers, as well as all user passwords.

Example: cookie gh869jku5


4.1.6 create_list

(Default value: listmaster)

Defines who can create lists (or request list creations). Sympa will use the corresponding scenario.

Example: create_list intranet

4.2 Directories


4.2.1 home

(Default value: ~sympa/expl)

The directory whose subdirectories correspond to the different lists.

Example: home /home/sympa/expl


4.2.2 etc

(Default value: ~sympa/etc)

This is the local directory for configuration files (such as edit_list.conf. It contains 3 subdirectories: scenari for local scenarii; templates for the site's local templates and default list templates; and wws_templates for the site's local html templates.

Example: home /home/sympa/etc

4.3 System related


4.3.1 syslog

(Default value: LOCAL1)

Name of the sub-system (facility) for logging messages.

Example: syslog LOCAL2


4.3.2 log_socket_type

(Default value: inet)

Sympa communicates with syslogd using either UDP or UNIX sockets. Set log_socket_type to inet to use UDP, or unix for UNIX sockets.


4.3.3 pidfile

(Default value: ~sympa/sympa.pid)

The file where the sympa.pl daemon stores its process number. Warning: the sympa user must be able to write to this file, and to create it if it doesn't exist.

Example: pidfile /var/run/sympa.pid


4.3.4 umask

(Default value: 027)

Default mask for file creation (see umask(2)).

Example: umask 007

4.4 Sending related


4.4.1 maxsmtp

(Default value: 20)

Maximum number of SMTP delivery child processes spawned by Sympa. This is the main load control parameter.

Example: maxsmtp 500


4.4.2 max_size

(Default value: 5 Mb)

Maximum size allowed for messages distributed by Sympa. This may be customized per list by setting the max_size list parameter.

Example: max_size 2097152


4.4.3 nrcpt

(Default value: 25)

Maximum number of recipients per sendmail call. This grouping factor makes it possible for the (sendmail) MTA to optimize the number of SMTP sessions for message distribution.


4.4.4 avg

(Default value: 10)

Maximum number of different internet domains within addresses per sendmail call.


4.4.5 sendmail

(Default value: /usr/sbin/sendmail)

Absolute call path to SMTP message transfer agent (sendmail for example).

Example: sendmail /usr/sbin/sendmail


4.4.6 rfc2369_header_fields

(Default value: help,subscribe,unsubscribe,post,owner,archive)

RFC2369 compliant header fields (List-xxx) to be added to distributed messages. These header-fields should be implemented by MUA's, adding menus.


4.4.7 remove_headers

(Default value: Return-Receipt-To,Precedence,X-Sequence,Disposition-Notification-To)

This is the list of headers that Sympa should remove from outgoing messages. Use it, for example, to ensure some privacy for your users by discarding anonymous options. It is (for the moment) site-wide. It is applied before the Sympa, rfc2369_header_fields, and custom_header fields are added.

Example: remove_headers Resent-Date,Resent-From,Resent-To,Resent-Message-Id,Sender,Delivered-To,Return-Receipt-To,Precedence,X-Sequence,Disposition-Notification-To


4.5 Spool related


4.5.1 spool

(Default value: ~sympa/spool)

The parent directory which contains all the other spools.


4.5.2 queue

The absolute path of the directory which contains the queue, used both by the queue program and the sympa.pl daemon. This parameter is mandatory.

Example: queue /home/sympa/queue


4.5.3 queuemod

(Default value: ~sympa/spool/moderation)

This parameter is optional and retained solely for backward compatibility.


4.5.4 queuedigest

(Default value: ~digest)

This parameter is optional and retained solely for backward compatibility.


4.5.5 queueexpire

(Default value: ~sympa/spool/expire)

This parameter is optional and retained solely for backward compatibility.


4.5.6 queueauth

(Default value: ~sympa/spool/auth)

This parameter is optional and retained solely for backward compatibility.


4.5.7 queueoutgoing

(Default value: ~sympa/spool/outgoing)

This parameter is optional and retained solely for backward compatibility.


4.5.8 queuebounce

(Default value: ~sympa/spool/bounce)

Spool to store bounces (non-delivery reports) received by the bouncequeue program via the mylist-owner or bounce+* addresses . This parameter is mandatory and must be an absolute path.


4.5.9 tmpdir

(Default value: ~sympa/spool/tmpdir)

Temporary directory used by OpenSSL and antiviruses.


4.5.10 sleep

(Default value: 5)

Waiting period (in seconds) between each scan of the main queue. Never set this value to 0!


4.5.11 clean_delay_queue

(Default value: 1)

Retention period (in days) for ``bad'' messages in spool (as specified by queue). Sympa keeps messages rejected for various reasons (badly formatted, looping, etc.) in this directory, with a name prefixed by BAD. This configuration variable controls the number of days these messages are kept.

Example: clean_delay_queue 3


4.5.12 clean_delay_queuemod

(Default value: 10)

Expiration delay (in days) in the moderation spool (as specified by queuemod). Beyond this deadline, messages that have not been processed are deleted. For moderated lists, the contents of this spool can be consulted using a key along with the MODINDEX command.


4.5.13 clean_delay_queueauth

(Default value: 3)

Expiration delay (in days) in the authentication queue. Beyond this deadline, messages not enabled are deleted.

4.6 Internationalization related


4.6.1 msgcat

(Default value: ~sympa/nls)

The location of multilingual (nls) catalog files. Must correspond to ~src/nls/Makefile.


4.6.2 lang

(Default value: us)

This is the default language for Sympa. The message catalog (.cat) located in the corresponding msgcat directory will be used.

4.7 Bounce related


4.7.1 bounce_warn_rate

(Default value: 30)

Site default value for bounce. The list owner receives a warning whenever a message is distributed and the number of bounces exceeds this value.


4.7.2 bounce_halt_rate

(Default value: 50)

FOR FUTURE USE

Site default value for bounce. Messages will cease to be distributed if the number of bounces exceeds this value.


4.7.3 welcome_return_path

(Default value: owner)

If set to string unique, sympa will use a unique e-mail address in the return path, prefixed by bounce+, in order to remove the corresponding subscriber. Requires the bounced daemon, and plussed aliases (as in sendmail 8.7 and later).


4.7.4 remind_return_path

(Default value: owner)

Like welcome_return_path, but relates to the remind message.

4.8 Priority related


4.8.1 sympa_priority

(Default value: 1)

Priority applied to Sympa commands while running the spool.

Available since release 2.3.1.


4.8.2 request_priority

(Default value: 0)

Priority for processing of messages for mylist-request, i.e. for owners of the list.

Available since release 2.3.3


4.8.3 owner_priority

(Default value: 9)

Priority for processing messages for mylist-owner in the spool. This address will receive non-delivery reports (bounces) and should have a low priority.

Available since release 2.3.3


4.8.4 default_list_priority

(Default value: 5)

Default priority for messages if not defined in the list configuration file.

Available since release 2.3.1.

4.9 Database related

The following parameters are needed when using an RDBMS, but otherwise are not required:


4.9.1 db_type

Database management system used (e.g. MySQL, Pg, Oracle)

This corresponds to the PERL DataBase Driver (DBD) name and is therefore case-sensitive.


4.9.2 db_name

(Default value: sympa)

Name of the database containing user information. See detailed notes on database structure, [*], page [*].


4.9.3 db_host

Database host name.


4.9.4 db_user

User with read access to the database.


4.9.5 db_passwd

Password for db_user.

4.10 Loop prevention

The following define your loop prevention policy for commands. (see 8.7, page [*])


4.10.1 loop_command_max

(Default value: 200)

The maximum number of command reports sent to an e-mail address. When it is reached, messages are stored with the BAD prefix, and reports are no longer sent.


4.10.2 loop_command_sampling_delay

(Default value: 3600)

This parameter defines the delay in seconds before decrementing the counter of reports sent to an e-mail address.


4.10.3 loop_command_decrease_factor

(Default value: 0.5)

The decrementation factor (from 0 to 1), used to determine the new report counter after expiration of the delay.

4.11 S/MIME configuration

Sympa can optionally verify and use S/MIME signatures for security purposes. In this case, three optional parameters must be assigned by the listmaster (see 7.4.2, page [*]).


4.11.1 openSSL

The path for the openSSL binary file.


4.11.2 trusted_ca_options

The option used by OpenSSL for trusted CA certificates. Required if cfkeyword openSSL is defined.


4.11.3 key_passwd

The password for list private key encryption. If not defined, Sympa assumes that list private keys are not encrypted.


4.12 Antivirus plug-in

Sympa can optionally check incoming messages before delivering them, using an external antivirus solution. You must then set two parameters.


4.12.1 antivirus_path

The path to your favorite antivirus binary file (including the binary file).

Example :

antivirus_path		/usr/local/bin/uvscan


4.12.2 antivirus_args

The arguments used by the antivirus software to look for viruses. You must set them so as to get the virus name. You should use, if available, the 'unzip' option and check all extensions.

Example with uvscan :

antivirus_args		--summary --secure

Example with fsav :

antivirus_args		--dumb	--archive


next up previous contents index
Next: 5. WWSympa Up: Sympa Mailing Lists Management Software Previous: 3. Installing Sympa   Contents   Index
root 2001-06-05