Actually  I changed  my mind.  I came  to the  conclusion that  if I  were a
LISTSERV owner  installing a  new release of  the code, I  would not  want the
server to process any of the reader  files until I decided that well, it seems
to be running  normally. I would probably  transfer all the reader  files to a
dummy reader before starting it up, but what with new incoming files?
 
  So I decided to  change the startup procedure. You always  get a prompt when
LISTSERV is started from a physical console:
 
8 Jun 1987 16:06:34 Start: (COLD | WARM) <Postpone> | SHUTDOWN | View
 
  The  default reply  is WARM  (WARM is  assumed when  LISTSERV is  started in
disconnected mode). VIEW allows you to have  a look at the warm start file and
at  the reader  files before  deciding  what to  do, SHUTDOWN  returns to  CMS
immediately, COLD erases the warm start file and asks you if you want to purge
the reader  files too, and WARM  keeps everything intact. If  you also specify
POSTPONE (eg WARM P), the warm start file is kept but nothing is restored from
it and LSVIUCV  is told never to  report reader files. That  is, LISTSERV will
keep gathering files in its reader from the list userids, but it will just not
process them until you reboot it normally. This is also very convenient for me
when I have  made important changes to  the code which I want  to test without
being bothered by reader requests and without risking to lose mailings :-)
 
  Eric