README 3.html
Keywords: README,fml, flexible mailing list manager, not listserv style but fmlserv emulates listserv or majordomo style

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3 fml 4.0 Function Overview

       ---------------------------------------------------------------
       I think that FML should provide "the degrees of freedom for users
       and maintainers as could as possible" and decreases the routine
       work of administrators. Fml configuration in default assumes manual
       operations, so e.g. manually add a member to the ML.  If you use
       extensions e.g. automatic registration/subscribe remote
       administration, you should enable functions explicitly.
       ---------------------------------------------------------------

    [documentation]

    [installation]

    *  makefml (CUI; interactive install and customize interface)

    *  GUI based on CGI (4.0 new)

    [General]

    * Access with DataBase Servers by several methods

    	PostgreSQL
    	MySQL
    	LDAP (Leightweight Directory Access Protocol)

    * Message Language Extension (3.0 new)

    *  fix memory usage (3.0 new)

    [security]

    *  Filtering for posted articles (2.2 new function)
       e.g. reject null body mail and only 'unsubscribe' body mails.

    *  FIlter: Reject Melissa family virus

    *  Message-ID Cache, system account rejection, ... against loop

    *  Traffic Monitor (2.2 new function)
       which monitors the ML traffic. Fml rejects more articles from a
       sender from which fml observes the high traffic mail, which must a
       mail bomber.

    *  MD5 check sum loop detecton (3.0 new, optional)

    	e.g. Melissa virus, happy99

    *  FML Advisory
       advisory on fml configurations and current topics
    	e.g. Melissa virus, happy99

    [delivery system]

    *  access control for each delivery and command functions
    	(anyone/members_only/moderator types are available)

      [on "moderator"]
      Moderator has three types. In default, fml caches submission,
      and sends one time password for certification to moderators.

    *  Digest Delivery (Matome Okuri)
       Each customization for each user
       e.g. send tar.gz format of articles to a user,
            MIME/Multipart to another user.
            Also a digest is sent to each user at each time.

    	PGP 2
    	PGP 5 (4.0 new)

    *  PGP encrypted ML
    	PGP 2
    	PGP 5 (4.0 new)

    *  Easy header customization in detail

    *  Article spooling or not
       You can use archive other than the default spool
    *  automatic compression (spool -> tar.gz style) and expiration
    *  article expiration (if you have little DISK)
    *  HTML article generation (HTML 4.0 FORMAT)
    	new thread format (2.2.1 new)

    *  fml connects MTA via SMTP connection not exec(2) MTA.
       # exec(2) style is optional or the last resort if SMTP fails.
       So you can use another hosts for delivery and plural MTA's.

    *  Startrek Stardate :D

    *  mead.pl (2.2 new)
       remove users which causes mail errors automatically.

    *  Some limitation on ML (2.2 new)
       input mail size limit
       limit of the number of ML subscribers
       the maximum number of commands in one mail

    *  $OUTGOING_ADDRESS (2.2.1 new)
       fml sends the article to an address $OUTGOINT_ADDRESS.
       shorten perl lifetime HACK(e.g. on i486 with 16M memory machine)

    *  ML by POP3  (optional)

        ContentHandler

    [commands]

    	PGP 2
    	PGP 5 (4.0 new)

    *  Remote Administration
        authentication type:
    	address
    	password (password file is saved by crypt or MD5)
    	PGP(Pretty Good Privacy) signature based authentication
    	PGP 2
    	PGP 5 (4.0 new)

    *  Multiple functions to handle a bundle of articles

    	PLAINTEXT
    		UNIX FROM
    		RFC934
    		RFC1153
    		MIME/Multipart

    	COMPRESSED FORMAT
    		gzip UNIX FROM file
    		Lha + Ish
    		Lha + uuencode
    		tar + gzip
    		zip + base64  (2.2 new)
    		uuencode

       e.g. $DIR/log, $DIR/members, $DIR/actives

    *  Newsyslog(8) support log files rotations
       (log -> log.0, log.0 -> log.1 ...)
       e.g. $DIR/log, $DIR/members, $DIR/actives

    *  listserv/majordomo compatible interface (emulation)

    [registration]

    * change actives/members treatment of automatic subscribe (3.0 new)

    *  automatic registration (default: confirmation)
       which confirms the "subscribe" will in default.
       type: confirmation, keyword in body or subject, no-keyword

    *  fml tries to confirm "subscribe" request in the case of manual
       registration.

       $MANUAL_REGISTRATION_TYPE = 'confirmation' or 'forward_to_admin'

    *  confirmation in "unsubscribe". (2.2 new). This is optional.

    *  confirmation in "chaddr". (2.2.1 new). This is optional.

    *  confirmd (2.2 new)
       Confirmd queries user's will whether he/she continues to join
       a ML or not? Confirmd removes users if no reply.

    *  USE_MEMBER_NAME (2.2 new)
       manages a set of addresses and full names.

    Fml provides fundamentals for a lot of mailing list functions. You can
    use fml as it is and the first step to hack a ML of your own.

    Please use the latest version since programs which contact external
    worlds should be always latest e.g. for security, evolution
    environments, ... Hence it is better to do hacks for latest version.

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    Copyright (C) 1993-2000 Ken'ichi Fukamachi
    All rights of this page is reserved.

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