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Subsections

- 4.1 sympa.pl
- 4.2 INIT script
- 4.3 Stopping Sympa and signals

# 4. Running Sympa

#
4.1 sympa.pl

`sympa.pl` is the main daemon ; it processes mail commands and is in charge of messages distribution.

`sympa.pl` recognizes the following command line arguments:

- `- - debug` | `-d`

  Sets Sympa in debug mode and keeps it attached to the terminal. Debugging information is output to STDERR, along with standard log information. Each function call is traced. Useful while reporting a bug.

- `service` process_command | process_message

  Sets Sympa daemon in way it process only message distribution (process_message) or in way it process only command (process_command).

- `- - config config_file` | `-f config_file`

  Forces Sympa to use an alternative configuration file. Default behavior is to use the configuration file as defined in the Makefile ($CONFIG).

- `- - mail` | `-m`

  Sympa will log calls to sendmail, including recipients. Useful for keeping track of each mail sent (log files may grow faster though).

- `- - lang catalog` | `-l catalog`

  Set this option to use a language catalog for Sympa. The corresponding catalog file must be located in `~sympa/locale` directory.

- `- - keepcopy recipient_directory` | `-k recipient_directory`

  This option tells Sympa to keep a copy of every incoming message, instead of deleting them. recipient_directory is the directory to store messages.

      /home/sympa/bin/sympa.pl

- `- - create_list - - robot robotname - - input_file /path/to/list_file.xml`

  Create the list described by the xml file, see 18.3, page .

- `- - close_list listname@robot`

  Close the list (changing its status to closed), remove aliases and remove subscribers from DB (a dump is created in the list directory to allow restoring the list). See , page when you are in a family context.

- `- - dump listname `|` ALL`

  Dumps subscribers of a list or all lists. Subscribers are dumped in `subscribers.db.dump`.

- `- - import listname`

  Import subscribers in the listname list. Data are read from STDIN.

- `- - lowercase`

  Lowercases e-mail addresses in database.

- `- - help` | `-h`

  Print usage of sympa.pl.

- `- - make_alias_file`

  Create an aliases file in /tmp/ with all list aliases (only list which status is 'open'). It uses the list_aliases.tt2 template.

- `- - version` | `-v`

  Print current version of Sympa.

- `- - instanciate_family familyname robotname - - input_file /path/to/family_file.xml`

  Instantiate the family familyname. See 19, page .

- `- - close_family familyname - - robot robotname`

  Close the familyname family. See 19.2.4, page .

- `- - add_list familyname - - robot robotname - - input_file /path/to/list_file.xml`

  Add the list described in the XML file to the familyname family. See 19.2.5, page .

- `- - modify_list familyname - - robot robotname - - input_file /path/to/list_file.xml`

  Modify the existing family list, with description contained in the XML file. See 19.2.7, page .

- `- - sync_include listaddress`

  Trigger an update of list members, usefull if the list uses external data sources.

- `- - upgrade - - from=X - -to=Y`

  Runs Sympa maintenance script to upgrate from version X to version Y

- `- - reload_list_config - -list=mylist@dom`

  Recreates all `configbin` files. You should run this command if you edit authorization scenarios. The list parameter is optional.

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4.2 INIT script

The `make install` step should have installed a sysV init script in your `/etc/rc.d/init.d/` directory (you can change this at `configure` time with the `-with-initdir` option). You should edit your runlevels to make sure Sympa starts after Apache and MySQL. Note that MySQL should also start before Apache because of `wwsympa.fcgi`.

This script starts these deamons : sympa.pl, task_manager.pl, archived.pl and bounced.pl.

#
4.3 Stopping Sympa and signals

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4.3.0.1 `kill -TERM`

When this signal is sent to sympa.pl (`kill -TERM`), the daemon is stopped ending message distribution in progress and this can be long (for big lists). If `kill -TERM` is used, sympa.pl will stop immediatly whatever a distribution message is in progress. In this case, when sympa.pl restart, message will distributed many times.

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4.3.0.2 `kill -HUP`

When this signal is sent to sympa.pl (`kill -HUP`), it switchs of the `-mail` logging option and continues current task.

Next: 5. Upgrading Sympa Up: Sympa Mailing Lists Management Software version Previous: 3. Installing Sympa Contents Index