>
> We are thinking about converting our VM version of LISTSERV to a unix
> version.  Any words of advice or suggestions?

We did that about a year and a half ago.  If you are planning to
move all the archives, welcome files, customized templates etc.,
be sure to allow enough time.  Most of it can be done with FTP,
but just gathering up all those files, moving them, and sorting
them out into the right directories takes time.  If you've got
hundreds of lists, you don't want to be forced to try to do it
all in a day or two.  If you do it over time, you can set up
New-List headers on the lists you have already moved, and each
list only needs to be down (or on hold) for a few minutes.
Ideally it would be good to have the Unix system up so you can
play with it a bit, with a few test lists, before moving any
of your real lists.  If you are going to use the Web interface,
use the opportunity to familiarize yourself with that before
your users find it.  Once they get in, they will start asking
you questions about every obscure feature in there.
>
> The biggest complaint we have here is that end users must go through the
> LISTSERV postmaster to have their lists created.  Does the process work
> any differently under unix?

I still have to create the lists, but under VM I was doing a
lot of header changes too.  Our list owners were using a
variety of different email programs, some of which made a
GET and PUT on the header pretty tricky.  (Also, on the version
we had then, the default for GET was to get the subscriber list
as well, so they were likely to do that and then their email
program would -really- mangle that.  I'm not sure if that's
still the default - with the Web interface I hardly ever use
GET and PUT on a header anymore!)  Since I had an email program
that did not mangle the header, for my own sanity I encouraged
list owners to let me do their header changes for them.

On Unix, I try to get the list owners to use the Web interface.
That way they can change their header and I don't have to worry
about what email program they have.  As far as I know, the VM
version does not have the Web interface - it didn't when we
moved to Unix anyway.  If it still doesn't, then getting to a
system that has the Web interface may be the biggest benefit
in moving your lists to Unix.  (This is coming from someone who
always said she hated GUI front-ends, too!)

Margaret King ([log in to unmask])
Michigan State University