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Note: All of the commands below have items enclosed in angled brackets < >. Don't include these in your command. They only indicate that you should substitute the information required at that point in the command.
General Questions:
Creating a New List:
Subscriber's Questions:
Owner's Questions?
General
How do I use this document?
All changes to lists and list subscriptions are managed by sending commands via e-mail to ListProc at listproc@lists.colorado.edu. See these Common List Commands for command descriptions and usage instructions.
For all error e-mails received from ListProc, be sure to read the description of the error in the e-mail. That should help you determine which of the common problems described below you are encountering.
Throughout this document, anything presented as word means you should substitute word with your particular information. For example, in this line:
subscribe listname first lastname
You would substitute listname with the real name of the list you want to join and substitute first lastname with your first name and last name. Important: Do not actually italicize any commands you send to ListProc.
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Creating a New List
Why am I getting an error with the ‘initial subscribers’ field on the list application?
This problem usually results from hidden carriage returns, usually on the line following the last address, but sometimes on the very first line. Try completely clearing the field before entering any information. Or you can place the cursor before the first entry and backspace several times, then put the cursor at the end and hit delete several times.
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Subscriber Questions
Why can’t I subscribe to a list?
Read the error message you get back from ListProc to determine which of the following common problems you are experiencing:
- “unknown command” error
This error probably resulted from a misspelled command, e.g. “suscribe” instead of “subscribe”.
- “unknown list-name” error
This error probably resulted from an incorrectly typed list name. Make sure the spelling of the name is correct and that you do not include any spaces. Also, be sure to include dashes or hyphens when appropriate. Look carefully at the list name to determine.
- HTML encoding for e-mail is on
Always turn off HTML encoding for all messages to ListProc. In other words, send the message plain text. To do this in:
- CULink: In the new message window, the button second from the right will toggle between HTML and plain text. If you are already using plain text, the button will say “HTML text.” If you are using HTML, the button will say “Plain text.” When you click the “Plain text” button, you will be asked to confirm your decision to remove all HTML effects. Click “OK” to switch to plain text for this message only.
- Windows Live Mail (Formerly Hotmail, MSN): When composing a new mail message, there will be a link to switch between plain text and HTML below the “Subject” line. The link will display “HTML” if you are already in plain text and “Plain text” if you are in HTML. Click “Plain text” to switch for this message.
- Yahoo! Mail: Go into the Options menu, find and navigate to General Preferences, and then finally to the category “Composing E-mails” where you can select “Compose messages as plain text.”
- Yahoo! Mail Beta: When composing a new message, there will be a link to the right of the Subject field which will allow you to switch between plain text and HTML.
- Other Mail Clients: ITS can provide assistance with any IT Service Center supported e-mail clients. Call the IT Service Center at 303-735-4357 (5-HELP from a campus phone) or e-mail help@colorado.edu for assistance.
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Why can’t I unsubscribe from a list?
See the “Why can’t I subscribe to a list?” section above to determine if you are encountering one of the same common problems as with subscriptions.
- “You are not subscribed to list” error
This is usually caused by a discrepancy with your e-mail rewrite. Your rewrite is the address that appears on the “From:” line on e-mails you send out. A list will not process a command from you unless the address from which you send the command matches the address you supplied when you subscribed. For example, if you subscribed to the list four years ago when your rewrite was Ralphie.Buffalo@colorado.edu, but now your rewrite is Chip.Buffalo@colorado.edu, ListProc will not find you in its subscriber list. Call the IT Service Center at 303-735-4357 (5-HELP) or e-mail help@colorado.edu for assistance in such cases.
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I was removed/unsubscribed from a list. What happened?
This could be one of two issues:
- You were automatically removed for e-mail quota violation
Clean up some space on your e-mail to get under your quota, and then re-subscribe to the list. See the CULink E-mail and Calendar FAQ for more information on quota violations.
- The list owner removed your subscription
To contact list owners, send an e-mail to: listname-request@lists.colorado.edu. You can ask the list owner why you were removed and/or request re-subscription.
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Why can’t I send to a list?
This could be one of several issues:
- The list is not configured to post messages from subscribers
Your message will be returned in this case. The e-mail will indicate that you are not a list owner and that only owners can post to the list. List owners have authority over this setting. To request a change in configuration, you can send a message to: listname-request@lists.colorado.edu. This will e-mail the owner(s) of the list. Make sure to include the purpose of your request in the e-mail, which in this case is to request information about the list’s configuration.
- The list is set to ‘send-by-subscribers’ mode and either you aren’t subscribed or there is a rewrite discrepancy
Make sure you are subscribed to the list and that your outgoing address matches the one you subscribed with. Refer to “You are not subscribed to list” error section under “Why can’t I unsubscribe from a list?” above.
- Your message contained illegal commands, words or phrases
Do not use these terms on the subject line of the message: test, vacation, out of office, ignore, please ignore, add me, remove me, delete me. ListProc rejects messages with these words to prevent spamming people with list subscribers’ vacation messages, commands, or test messages. This is a global ListProc setting and cannot be changed for any list.
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How do I postpone messages from a list (e.g. for vacation)?
When you want to postpone messages, set your mailmode to ‘postpone’ by e-mailing this command to ListProc:
set listname mail postpone
Replace listname with the real name of the list. Messages from the list will be postponed until you change your mailmode again. Refer to the instructions in the “What are my options for receiving list messages?” section below for more mailmode options. If you want to receive messages as they are sent, set your mailmode to ‘ack’ (acknowledge) with this command:
set listname mail ack
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What are my options for receiving list messages?
Mailmodes include:
- ‘ack’ – Receive messages as they are sent to the list, including messages you send to the list.
- ‘noack’ – Receive messages as they are sent to the list, not including messages you send to the list.
- ‘digest’ – Receive one e-mail per day which contains all messages of the day.
- ‘digest-nomime’ – Same as digest, but leaves out MIME encoding. Use this if digest mode produces garbled messages.
- ‘postpone’ – Postpone messages from the list until you change your mailmode.
To change your mailmode, send this command to ListProc:
set listname mail mailmode
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How do I receive messages in digest mode?
Use the following command to receive your messages in digest mode (compiled mailings once per day):
set listname mail digest
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Why do my digests appear as gibberish?
Refer to the instructions in the “What are my options for receiving list messages?” section above for the digest-nomime mailmode command.
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How do I get more information about a list?
To get information of a particular list, use this command:
information listname
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How can I find out what lists are available?
To get the names of all ListProc lists at CU-Boulder, use this command:
lists
To get the names of all lists with descriptions matching a specific keyword, use this command, replacing keyword with whatever you want to search for:
lists local keyword
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Owner Questions
Why can’t I manage my list?
This could be one of two issues:
- “You are not the owner of this list” error
This problem usually results from a discrepancy with your rewrite. The rewrite is the address that appears on the “From:” line on e-mails you send out. A list will not process a command from you unless the address from which you send the command matches the address you supplied when you became an owner of the list. To fix this problem, contact ITS and provide your correct owner address.
- The current list owner did not properly add you as a list owner
Refer to the instructions in the “How can I change the ownership of a list?” section below for help with adding or replacing owners.
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Why can’t I add or remove a list subscriber?
This problem could result from one or more of the following:
- Incorrectly constructed add/delete command
Command to add a subscriber:
add listname password address first lastname
Command to delete a subscriber:
delete listname password address
Example add command (all on one line):
add bungee b0oingg Ralphie.Buffalo@Colorado.EDU Ralphie Buffalo
Note:
- To add a subscriber, you must include first and last name, whereas to delete a subscriber, you do not.
- Substitute password with your list’s password and all descriptions with your particular list and subscriber information.
- You can specify the word ‘quiet’ before ‘add’ or ’delete’ in the command, so the person won’t be notified of the action.
- Setting the list up to allow people to subscribe/unsubscribe themselves greatly reduces problems with the add/delete commands.
- The use of illegal characters in the add command
Do not use any of these characters in the command: < >’s, [ ]’s, or ( )’s.
- Using list-address instead of simply list-name in the command
Make sure when sending a command to a list to use the list-name, rather than the complete list address (i.e., omit “@lists.colorado.edu”).
- Sending e-mails encoded in HTML
Make sure HTML encoding is turned off for all messages to ListProc. In other words, send list commands to ListProc in plain text. See the instructions in the “Why can’t I subscribe to a list?” section above for turning off HTML encoding.
- The command wraps to another line (or multiple lines)
ListProc can only process commands that are on one line unless you use ‘&’ at the end of a line. The & tells ListProc to process the next line as part of the same command. Be careful not to use & between separate commands, as this can have disastrous results. When in doubt, contact the IT Service Center at 303-735-4357 (5-HELP) or e-mail help@colorado.edu.
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Why can’t I add or delete multiple subscribers at the same time?
This problem could result from one or more of the following:
- Incorrectly constructed add/delete command for multiple subscribers
Command to add multiple subscribers:
add listname password {address first lastname} &
{address first lastname} {address first lastname}
Command to delete multiple subscribers:
delete listname password address &
address address
Example add multiple subscribers command:
bungee b0oingg {Ralphie.Buffalo@colorado.edu Ralphie Buffalo} &
{Chip.Buffalo@colorado.edu Chip Buffalo} {Roxie.Buffalo@colorado.edu Roxie Buffalo}
Note:
- ListProc will only process up to 980 characters in each command, which can complicate adding/deleting many subscribers at once. Allowing people to subscribe/unsubscribe themselves greatly reduces the number of problems with managing subscriptions.
The ampersand (&) should be used when one command spans multiple lines. The & tells ListProc to process the next line as part of the same command. Without the &, ListProc may misinterpret your command. However, using & between separate commands can have disastrous results, so use this character carefully. When in doubt, contact the IT Service Center at 303-735-4357 (or 5-HELP from a campus phone) or e-mail help@colorado.edu.
When adding multiple subscribers, the add command requires French braces, { }, around each subscriber’s address and first and last name, whereas the delete command does not need braces, since it only requires addresses and no names.
- Problems with ListProc line wraps and command length limit
See the section regarding line wraps above under the “Why can’t I add or remove a list subscriber?” section above. The maximum number of characters for any command is 980 characters.
- Bad spacing or illegal characters
Make sure there is only one space before and one space after ‘&’ if using it in the command. Also, beware of illegal characters in the command such as: < >’s, [ ]’s, or ( )’s.
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How do I get a list of the recipients of my list?
Use this command:
recipients listname
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How can I purge my list of all subscribers?
There are several ways to remove subscribers:
- Contact ITS to remove all subscribers
Contact the IT Service Center at 303-735-4357 (or 5-HELP from a campus phone) or e-mail help@colorado.edu.
- Use the ‘put’ command to put a blank file in place of the subscriber list
Be careful with this command, because anything after the ‘put’ command in the e-mail message will be put into the subscriber file, including your e-mail signature, etc., and can cause errors. Thus, make sure the e-mail is empty after this command:
put listname password file
In this case, we are focusing on the subscribers file, so it would look like:
put listname password subscribers
- Use the ‘edit’ command to get a list of current subscribers, and manually edit the list as preferred. Then put the new list in place with the ‘put’ command
When using this method, be careful with the ‘put’ command; make sure to include all fields that ListProc expects for subscribers and nothing else at the bottom of your e-mail.
Get a list of current subscribers:
edit listname password subscribers
Put an edited subscriber list in place:
put listname password subscribers
Be sure to include the correct information for each subscriber, as follows:
address mailmode password conceal first last
For example:
ralphie.buffalo@colorado.edu ACK P@$$word NO Ralphie Buffalo
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How can I change the configuration of my list?
ListProc offers many configuration options for your list. Below is a basic reference for those configuration options and their functions. All configuration options are set using a similar command construction:
config listname password option
Substitute option above with any of the following options:
Option |
Description |
send-by subscribers |
Only subscribers and owners can send to the list |
send-by-all |
Anyone can send to the list |
send-by-owners |
Only owners can send to the list; others can receive messages |
open-subscriptions |
Anyone can subscribe to the list |
owner-subscriptions |
Owners must approve subscription attempts |
closed-subscriptions |
Subscriptions are closed |
unmoderated |
List not moderated |
moderated-no-edit |
List is moderated, but owner can’t edit messages |
moderated-edit |
Moderated and owner can edit messages before they go out |
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How can I see how my list is configured?
Send this command to ListProc:
review listname
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How can I change the ownership of a list?
To replace an owner, you must add the new owner before removing the old one. Be sure to set the e-mail address exactly as it appears in the owner’s outgoing e-mail when adding. If you have trouble removing someone, verify the address that ListProc has for an owner.
To add an owner to a list, use this command:
config listname password owners address
To remove an owner from the list, use this command:
config listname password remove-owners address
Example remove owner command:
config bungee b0oingg remove-owners Ralphie.Buffalo@colorado.edu
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How can I get more information about list management commands?
Send the command ‘help’ to ListProc, which will reply with an extensive listing of available commands. For help with a particular command, send ‘help command’ to ListProc.
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Can I archive my list?
List archiving is not available through ListProc.
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Get Help
IT Service Center
303-735-4357 (5-HELP from an on-campus phone)
help@colorado.edu
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