LPI Linux Certification in a Nutshell, 2nd Edition

Objective 1: Configuring Mailing Lists

As with MTAs, mailing list servers are a very large topic. Fortunately, the LPI focuses just on the Majordomo mailing list server, found at http://www.greatcircle.com/majordomo. Even more fortunate for us, the LPI assigns a relatively small value to this topic.

Still, it is essential for you to know how to install and configure the revised version of Majordomo, called Majordomo 2, for various reasons. First, mailing lists are still very popular and are expected in many environments. You should know how to provide them.

Majordomo is essentially an add-on application to an MTA. It can be used with any MTA (such as Sendmail or Qmail) to manage lists of email applications. You can configure Majordomo to receive commands from potential users, who then direct Majordomo to add them to a list or drop them from a list. Majordomo does not deliver mail; that's the job of the MTA. Majordomo essentially acts as a mediator between users, the MTA, and the MDA.

Users generate postings often based on a particular discussion, which is often called a thread. This thread can be made public or private, depending upon the wishes of the administrator. The Majordomo administrator can configure Majordomo using various means, including a command-line interface, a web interface, or even by sending email messages to the Majordomo server.

Majordomo servers often have a moderator. This person can be the same person as the administrator, but does not have to be. The moderator ...