Notes on upgrading debian's mailman package from 2.0.11-1woody5 to 2.1.1-3 on a system running Debian 3.0 (woody) (sparc) by: mtoups@indymedia.org (host howard.indypgh.org is running exim as MTA with aliases in /etc/aliases) (set up appropriate lines to download source from debian's unstable distro, ie, in /etc/apt/sources.list deb-src http://http.us.debian.org/debian unstable main contrib non-free) 1. apt-get source mailman ucf (ucf from unstable is needed, as the version in debian stable is too old. this is a new dependency that the old mailman did not have.) 2. apt-get install pwgen (another new dependency of mailman 2.1.1, but the version in stable is enough to satisfy the dependency) 3. apt-get install python-dev (if this isn't already installed, install it as it is necessary to BUILD the new mailman) 4. cd ucf-0.11 ; debian/rules binary build ucf ("Update Configuration File") package from source 5. cd .. ; dpkg -i /usr/src/ucf_0.11_all.deb install ucf package 6. cd mailman-2.1.1 ; debian/rules binary this will begin the build of the package /usr/src/mailman_2.1.1-3_$ARCH.deb this should complete normally... 7. OPTIONAL: apt-get install python-japanese-codecs or else comment out lines 55,59,60 in /var/lib/mailman/scripts/paths.py UPDATE -- this is fixed as of mailman 2.1.1-4, you can ignore this step (unless you want japanese/korean support) as per bug#188502 on package mailman_2.1.1-3, (http://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=188502) the package installation with barf without japanese and korean codecs. hopefully this bug will be fixed soon; if so, ignore this step. Roger Lynn reports: Installing python-japanese-codecs 1.4.4-1 and python2.1-koren-codecs 2.0.5-3 allows mailman to complete its installation. you may have to download python2.1-koren-codecs manually from a debian ftp site. to avoid performing this download, comment out the lines noted above in paths.py. NOTE: you must either download the codecs, or comment out the lines, or the installation will fail. 8. cd .. ; dpkg -i /usr/src/mailman_2.1.1-3_$ARCH.deb this should install the new mailman package. this may take some time. 9. newlist mailman the new package requires a mailman@host list for admin purposes, create it. 10. edit /etc/aliases (or as appropriate for your MTA) note that new aliases are available for lists, which you can see for the new list "mailman" you just created. you don't have to create all of them for every list, but the new features are nice. also the lists may get upset if $listname-bounces alias is not available. i recommend you search/replace to change the aliases, otherwise certain admin requests will get pissy. (though the lists will still work -- mostly) (postfix users may want to use /usr/lib/mailman/bin/genaliases) ---- see /usr/share/doc/mailman/UPGRADING.gz for more info on upgrading mailman. known bugs/caveats so far: * need to create -bounces alias by hand for old lists (postfix users, check the genaliases script mentioned above, may not be an issue) * link from listinfo page to archive may not be correct? workaround: (**UPDATE: this is fixed in mailman 2.1.1-5 in debian) (if this happens to you, comment out PUBLIC_ARCHIVE_URL and PRIVATE_ARCHIVE_URL in /etc/mailman/mm_cfg.py ) document created 4/10/2003 11pm EDT by mtoups@indymedia.org comments welcome (composed from memory shortly after going through the process)