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 <roger@rilynn.demon.co.uk> 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)