diff --git a/docs/listgate.txt b/docs/listgate.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..93c52c7ff5dad9349430558b6a74a15e045441db --- /dev/null +++ b/docs/listgate.txt @@ -0,0 +1,82 @@ +Synchronet ListGate Installation/Configuration +============================================== + +$Id$ + +Overview +-------- +The Synchronet ListGate (exec/listgate.js) allows a sysop to gate one or more +sub-boards (message areas) with existing, remotely hosted, Internet mailing +lists. + + +Requirements +------------ +The Synchronet ListGate requires Synchronet v3.12 or later. + + +How it works +------------ +The Synchronet ListGate module (listgate.js) actually only handles the +"exporting" of new messages posted to the local sub-board to the mailing list +(sent as SMTP e-mail messages). The "importing" of messages from the mailing +list is handled by a special feature of the Synchronet SMTP server which +allows messages received for specific addresses to be posted to local +sub-boards. + + +Configuration +------------- +1. If you haven't already, create the message area (sub-board) in SCFG that + you want to gate with an existing mailing list. Be sure to make a note + of the configured "internal code". + + If you set the access or posting requirements, you'll need to append + "OR USER=0" to the requirements string(s) to allow posts from + unauthenticated SMTP clients. + +2. Edit your ctrl/listgate.ini file, creating a separate section for + each sub-board that will be gated. Example (if "mysub" is the internal + code for the gated sub-board and "mybbs.com" is the BBS's public + host or domain name for receiving e-mail): + + [mysub] + to = listname@listserver.com + from = listname@mybbs.com + + If the line "disabled=true" is included in the file, remove it to enable + the listgate. + +3. Edit your ctrl/alias.cfg file, adding a line to accept submissions from + the mailing list as posts to the locally gated sub-board: + + listname sub:mysub + + This will redirect any SMTP e-mail messages received for + "listname@mybbs.com" as posts to the sub-board "mysub". + +4. Configure your account on the list server (if you can) to not "echo back" + any submissions received from you. This will prevent the dreaded "dupe + loop" you would otherwise encounter. + + The listgate module will automatically not export any messages that were + posted via SMTP (preventing any "dupe loop" from the BBS to the list). + +5. Setup a timed event (in SCFG->External Programs->Timed Events) to run the + command-line "?listgate.js" periodically. This will export any new messages + in the sub-board(s) configured in listgate.ini as e-mail submissions to the + mailing list. + + +Maintenance +----------- +The export pointers are kept in the file data/subs/code.listgate.ptr, where +"code" is the sub-board's internal code. + +You can execute "?listgate.js -u" to update the export pointers *without* +actually exporting any existing messages to the list, or you may execute +"?listgate -r" to reset the export pointers, so that *all* the existing +messages in the sub-board will be exported to the mailing list +(even if they were previously exported). + +/* End of file */ \ No newline at end of file