Step 1:

Preliminary considerations:
Majordomo is a mailing list software. A mailing list provides a group of subscribers with the possibility of easy message exchange. Everyone can subscribe to an email distribution list in order to send emails to other subscribers of that list.

Please note that we don't answer further questions on Majordomo, since it's very comprehensive. The following tutorial should merely give you an understanding of the basic commands.

Step 2:

Before you set up a mailing list you should create an email address info@yourdomain.com. This is the so-called list owner address. To this address information will be sent from Majordomo, e.g. new subscribers.

In case you didn't create an email address info@yourdomain.com yet, please do that first. As soon as the email address has been created, you can set up the mailing list.

Inside your KAS (Technical Administration) panel click on Email -> Mailing Lists and then on Create new mailing list in the upper right section. Determine a name and a random password.

The list should now have been created like as seen in the example image.

Step 3:

The list name consists of a self-chosen name as well as the related domain. This cannot be changed since it's determined by the system.

If you want to send an email to all list subscribers, you need to send it to the exact mailing list address.

In our example we did use "distributor". This has been complemented by "yourdomain-com" due to the selection of the domain. The email address of the mailing list is therefore as follows:

distributor-yourdomain-com@yourdomain.com
Since this is a very long address it's recommended to set up a forwarding. Click the menu item Email -> Email Forwarding inside your KAS (Technical Administration) panel and then on Create a new email forwarding. Now determine the desired email address to which the users can send emails.

The target is the address of the mailing list. Afterwards please click the Save button.

Step 4:

Majordomo is basically controlled by commands which are directly sent by email to the Majordomo service, not (!) to the mailing list address. The email address of the Majordomo service is always majordomo@yourdomain.com. In case your are sending multiple Majordomo commands, they must always be written one below the other.

At first you should check whether the list has been created. For that purpose, you need to use the lists command. Send an email to majordomo@yourdomain.com
You can leave the subject field blank, since Majordomo is ignoring it completely. As email text only use the lists command.
Please only use plain text without any formatting and no signature.

In case the list is already active, you will receive an email from the Majordomo service with the following content:

Now you further have the option to request more information on the list name. The relevant command is:

info LISTEN_NAME

Since you don't have specified any further information on the list yet, you won't receive anything. Before you publish the mailing list, you should now configure it.

Step 5:

Setting up the list is conducted using a configuration text. However, this text must be requested from the Majordomo service first. Send an email to Majordomo with the following command:

config LISTE_NAME ADMIN_PASSWORT

As ADMIN_PASSWORT please use the password which you have specified when you did create the mailing list.

After sending the email, you will receive an email with the current list configuration. This can be edited using the related parameters. The several settings are explained more precisely.

As soon as you did edit the configuration, please send it back to Majordomo. Please pay attention to send back the entire configuration.

The configuration starts with the following line:
# The configuration file for a majordomo mailing list.

... and ends with the line:
#[Last updated DATUM]

The text before the first and after the last line must NOT be copied!

Write a new email. Start it using the command for rewriting the configuration:

newconfig LISTEN_NAME ADMIN_PASSWORT

From the next line on, insert the entire new configuration and send the email back to Majordomo.
You should receive a confirmation in reply:

>>>> newconfig LISTEN_NAME ADMIN_PASSWORT
New config for list LISTEN_NAME accepted.

Hint: Instead of writing a new email you can also reply to a Majordomo response. However, most email clients do format them so you run the risk that Majordomo will not understand your commands.

Step 6:

Description of some of the most important configuration items:

who_access = open
Here you can determine whether the subscribers of a list should be displayed:

• if open is selected, everyone is allowed to see the subscribers by using the who LISTEN_NAME command
• if list is selected, only subscribers are allowed to see the other subscribers
• ife closed is selected, the command who LISTEN_NAME will be completely deactivated

which_access = open
This command displays in which lists the stated email address is registered. As like the option who_access, this command can be completely open, deactivated or set to only visible for subscribers.

However, in case the commands which, who etc. are locked using the closed option, the administrator of the list can still access these commands. But he must use the ADMIN_PASSWORT for authentication, e.g.: approve ADMIN_PASSWORT who LISTE_NAME

restrict_post = your-domain-com.extra
If this option is set, only email addresses which are determined in the stated file (Example: your-domain-com.extra) are allowed to send emails to the mailing list. Inside the KAS (Technical Administration) panel under the menu item Email -> Mailing Lists you can find the file name related to your mailing list and you can enter the desired email addresses in to the file using the respective input field. These email addresses are also used by "who_access", "which_access"etc. in case "list" is stated there.

unsubscribe_policy & subscribe_policy
With these variables you can maintain subscribing and unsubscribing to/from the mailing list.

subscribe_policy = open+confirm
This means that everyone can subscribe to the mailing list, but however receives an authentication code. This code must be sent to Majordomo in order to subscribe. This method is a very effective anti-spam measure and is therefore und daher explicitly recommended!

unsubscribe_policy = open+confirm
The same settings can be applied when unsubscribing from the list.

moderate            =   yes
Here you can determine whether the list should be maintained by a moderator - similar to the moderator in a forum. The moderator checks each email and decides whether it's sent to the other subscribers or not.

moderator           =  E_MAIL_ADRESSE
This way, the moderator and his email address can be determined.

Subscribing and unsubscribing to/from a maling list:

If a potential subscriber wants to subscribe to the list, he needs to send an email directly to Majordomo majordomo@domainname.com. The text must have the following content:

subscribe LISTEN_NAME E_MAIL_ADRESSE

Please remind again to avoid any kind of formatting and do not use signatures!

You will now either receive a welcome email or a verification code which must be used to accomplish the subscription. This depends on the respective configuration of the list. The welcome email should be stored by the subscriber since it contains the command to unsubscribe.

unsubscribe LISTEN_NAME E_MAIL_ADRESSE

In case a subscriber wants to unsubscribe, he must send an email to Majordomo containing the above-mentioned command. This will also be confirmed by Majordomo in an email.

If somebody subscribes or unsubscribes, you as the list owner will always get a notification to your email address info@domainname.com and so you can monitor the subscription history of your list.

Sending an email to the mailing list subscribers:

When a subscriber wants to send an email the other subscribers, he needs to send the message to the forwarding address which we have set up at the beginning. Contrary to command emails, you can of course now work with a subject as well as formatting.

In case a moderator is determined in the configuration, then he needs to approve the email first before it can be sent to anyone.

Important commands:

Some commands for Majordomo (subscribers)

lists - shows the lists on the server
info LISTEN_NAME - shows (if existing) further information about the list
who LISTEN_NAME - shows all subscribers of a list
which E_MAIL_ADRESSE - shows to which lists the email address has subscribed
subscribe LISTEN_NAME E_MAIL_ADRESSE - subscribes to the list
unsubscribe LISTEN_NAME E_MAIL_ADRESSE - unsubscribes from the list

Some commands for Majordomo (administrators)

config LISTEN_NAME ADMIN_PASSWORT - downloads the current configuration
newconfig LISTEN_NAME ADMIN_PASSWORT - replaces the configuration with the edited one
approve ADMIN_PASSWORT BEFEHL LISTEN_NAME - shows locked commands such as which, who etc.
newinfo LISTEN_NAME ADMIN_PASSWORT - determines an information text, the actual text follows below this command

Step 7:

Thunderbird button "Reply to list"

Using the configuration, you can also control the behavior of an email client.