From: Thomas Roessler <Thomas.Roessler@sobolev.rhein.de>
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Message Hash: 90be20d6c49f332e815cca2af81845ae6764e4acd41d281c3bb3c0551e10e02e
Message ID: <199702131958.LAA09891@toad.com>
Reply To: N/A
UTC Datetime: 1997-02-13 19:58:56 UTC
Raw Date: Thu, 13 Feb 1997 11:58:56 -0800 (PST)
From: Thomas Roessler <Thomas.Roessler@sobolev.rhein.de>
Date: Thu, 13 Feb 1997 11:58:56 -0800 (PST)
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: distributed mailing list architecture
Message-ID: <199702131958.LAA09891@toad.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain
Maybe you have some use for the appended perl script. I created it for a
list setup quite similar to what is currently being discussed on
cypherpunks. It has never ever been used in production; you'll notice
yourself that the code is not too nice.
The script currently tries to handle majordomo and SmartList exploders; at
least SmartList needs to be hacked a little bit to avoid daily subscription
approvals to people being moved between different sub-lists.
Distribute and use this script freely; credit is appreciated.
tlr
------------------------------
#!/usr/bin/perl
############################################################
#
# $Id: distlist.pl,v 1.2 1997/01/24 17:20:38 roessler Exp $
#
#
# Handle distributed mailing lists.
#
require 'getopts.pl';
$c_sublists='lists'; # Data about the sublists
$c_distfile='dist'; # A list of mail addresses
$c_datafile='dist.data'; # _Our_ list of addresses
$c_contact='roessler@sobolev.rhein.de';
# Whom to contact in case of problems
$sendmail="| /usr/sbin/sendmail -t -odq";
$debug=0; # Debugging output. Can also be
# turned on by using the -x switch.
$signature="-- \nThis mail has been generated automatically by the distlist\n".
"program. Please contact $c_contact in case of problems.\n";
@sublists=();
@newsubs=();
#
# Command line processing
#
&dprint (1, 'Processing the command line...\n');
&Getopts('s:d:D:c:x:');
$c_sublists=$opt_s if $opt_s;
$c_distfile=$opt_d if $opt_d;
$c_datafile=$opt_D if $opt_D;
$c_contact=$opt_c if $opt_c;
$debug=$opt_x if $opt_x;
#
# Read the data and config files, perform various checks.
#
#
# sublists
#
&dprint(1, "Reading $c_sublists...");
# format: addr:maxsubscr:listtype:password:adminrequest:maintainer
open(SUBLISTS, $c_sublists) || die("Can't open $c_sublists");
SUBLIST: while(<SUBLISTS>) {
next SUBLIST if /^#/ || /^$/;
chop;
($addr, $maxsubscr, $listtype, $password, $admin, $maintainer) = split(/:/, $_);
$s_maxsubscr{$addr}=$maxsubscr;
$s_listtype{$addr}=$listtype;
$s_password{$addr}=$password;
$s_admin{$addr}=$admin;
$s_maintainer{$addr}=$maintainer;
$s_onlist{$addr}=0;
$s_addem{$addr}="";
$s_delem{$addr}="";
&dprint(3,"Parsed list $addr: maximum $maxsubscr people; listtype $listtype; password $password.; administrative address $admin; maintainer $maintainer");
@sublists=(@sublists, $addr);
}
close(SUBLISTS);
# In addition, we define a special list for people to be redistributed later.
$s_maxsubscr{'later'}=100000; # Very big. ;)
$s_listtype{'later'}="";
$s_password{'later'}="";
$s_onlist{'later'}=0;
$s_addem{'later'}="";
$s_delem{'later'}="";
#
# Read our dist file
#
# format: user:list
if(open(DATAFILE, $c_datafile)) {
&dprint(1, "Reading $c_datafile...");
USERLINE: while(<DATAFILE>) {
next USERLINE if /^#/ || /^$/;
chop;
($user, $list) = split(/:/, $_);
# Check if the list exists; handle user.
if(! $s_maxsubscr{$list}) {
&dprint(2, "While checking user $user: $list does no longer exist.");
$list="later";
} elsif( $s_onlist{$list} >= $s_maxsubscr{$list} ) {
&dprint(2, "Warning: $list is full. Redistributing people later.");
$s_delem{$list}=join(':',$user,$s_delem{$list});
$list="later";
}
$s_onlist{$list}++;
$u_list{$user}=$list;
$deletem{$user}=$user;
}
close(DATAFILE);
&dprint(1,"$c_datafile finished.");
} else {
&dprint(1, "Warning: Can't read $c_datafile.");
}
#
# Now, read the real distribution file.
#
&dprint(1, "Reading $c_distfile...");
open(DISTFILE, $c_distfile) || die("Can't open $c_distfile");
DISTLINE: while(<DISTFILE>) {
next DISTLINE if /^#/ || /^$/ || /^\(/;
chop;
if(!$u_list{$_}) { # A new member.
&dprint(2, "Found a new member: $_.");
@newsubs=($_, @newsubs);
} else { # We know him.
&dprint(3, "Well-known: $_.");
delete $deletem{$_};
}
}
close(DISTFILE);
#
# Handle deletions.
#
foreach $user (keys %deletem) {
$list=$u_list{$user};
delete $u_list{$user};
$s_onlist{$list}--;
$s_delem{$list}=join(':', $s_delem{$list}, $user);
&dprint(3, "Removing $user from sublist $list.");
}
#
# Handle postponed subscriptions: The later list.
#
foreach (keys %u_list) {
next unless $u_list{$_} eq "later";
@newsubs=($_, @newsubs);
delete $u_list{$_};
&dprint(3, "Adding $_ to the list of new subscriptions. Was postponed.");
}
&dprint(1, "Distributing new subscriptions...");
NEWSUBS: foreach $user (@newsubs) {
$avg=0.0;
foreach $l (@sublists) {
$avg += $s_onlist{$l}/$s_maxsubscr{$l};
}
$avg = $avg / ($#sublists + 1.0);
if ($avg >= 1) {
&dprint(2, "Warning: All sublists are full while trying to insert $user.");
}
undef $possible;
foreach $l (@sublists) {
if($s_onlist{$l} <= $avg*$s_maxsubscr{$l}) {
$possible=$l;
}
if($s_onlist{$l} < $avg*$s_maxsubscr{$l}) {
last;
}
}
if($possible) {
$l = $possible;
}
$s_addem{$l}=join(':', $s_addem{$l}, $user);
$s_onlist{$l}++;
$u_list{$user}=$l;
}
#
# Write our own data file.
#
if(open(DATAFILE, ">$c_datafile")) {
foreach (keys %u_list) {
printf DATAFILE "%s:%s\n", $_, $u_list{$_};
}
close(DATAFILE);
} else {
&dprint(1, "Warning: Can't write $c_datafile.");
}
#
# The lists have been put together. Commit the changes.
#
&dprint(1, "Committing the changes...");
foreach $l (@sublists) {
if($s_listtype{$l} eq "majordomo") {
&commit_majordomo($l);
} elsif ($s_listtype{$l} eq "smartlist") {
&commit_smartlist($l);
} else {
&dprint(1, "While trying to commit changes for $l:");
&dprint(1, "Unknown list type $s_listtype{$l}.\n");
}
}
#
# To be done: Print out some statistics.
#
print "Distlist results:\n";
print "-----------------\n";
print "\n";
printf "There are currently %d subscribers on %d sublists.\n\n", scalar(keys %u_list), $#sublists+1;
$full_lists=0;
printf "%-40s on max\n", "Name";
printf "----------------------------------------------------\n";
foreach $l (@sublists) {
printf "%-40s %4d %4d", $l, $s_onlist{$l}, $s_maxsubscr{$l};
if($s_onlist{$l} >= $s_maxsubscr{$l}) {
print " *** This list is full ***";
$full_lists++;
}
print "\n";
}
if($full_lists) {
print "\n$full_lists of the sublists are *full*. Please get in touch\n";
print "with the maintainers.\n";
}
print "\n\n";
print $signature;
############################################################
#
# Some helper functions.
#
# Print out diagnostics.
sub dprint
{
if($_[0] <= $debug) {
printf STDERR "%s\n", $_[1];
}
}
sub commit_majordomo
{
my $list=$_[0];
my @bla;
my $ll;
my $user;
&dprint(2, "Committing changes to majordomo list $list");
&dprint(3, "to be added: $s_addem{$list}");
&dprint(3, "to be deleted: $s_delem{$list}");
($ll, @bla)=split(/@/, $list);
if(!open(SENDMAIL, $sendmail)) {
&dprint(1, "Warning: Can't start sendmail when committing changes to $list");
}
print SENDMAIL "To: $s_admin{$list}\n";
print SENDMAIL "From: $c_contact\n";
print SENDMAIL "\n\n";
foreach $user (@bla=split(/:/, $s_addem{$list})) {
print SENDMAIL "approve $s_password{$list} subscribe $ll $user\n"
if $u_list{$user};
}
foreach $user (@bla=split(/:/, $s_delem{$list})) {
print SENDMAIL "approve $s_password{$list} unsubscribe $ll $user\n"
unless $u_list{$user} eq $list;
}
print SENDMAIL $signature;
close(SENDMAIL);
}
sub smartlist_xcommand
{
my ($list, $to, $passwd, $command, $maintainer) = @_;
if(!open(SENDMAIL, $sendmail)) {
&dprint(1, "Can't start sendmail when committing changes for $list");
}
print SENDMAIL "To: $to\n";
print SENDMAIL "From: $c_contact\n";
print SENDMAIL "X-Command: $maintainer $passwd $command\n";
print SENDMAIL "\n\n";
print SENDMAIL $signature;
close SENDMAIL;
}
sub commit_smartlist
{
my $list=$_[0];
my @bla;
my $user;
&dprint(2, "Committing changes to smartlist list $list");
foreach $user (@bla=split(/:/, $s_addem{$list})) {
&smartlist_xcommand($list, $s_admin{$list}, $s_password{$list},
"subscribe $user", $s_maintainer{$list})
if $u_list{$user};
}
foreach $user (@bla=split(/:/, $s_delem{$list})) {
&smartlist_xcommand($list, $s_admin{$list}, $s_password{$list},
"unsubscribe $user", $s_maintainer{$list})
unless $u_list{$user} eq $list;
}
}
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Return to “Thomas Roessler <Thomas.Roessler@sobolev.rhein.de>”
1997-02-13 (Thu, 13 Feb 1997 11:58:56 -0800 (PST)) - Re: distributed mailing list architecture - Thomas Roessler <Thomas.Roessler@sobolev.rhein.de>