UNIX Distribution Lists
The following instructions explain how to set up lists for use with the Pine e-mail client on the UNIX timesharing service.
Creating a Distribution List
Log on to the UNIX timesharing service (unixs.cis.pitt.edu).
Create a text file in your /afs/pitt.edu home directory. The file should contain a list of e-mail addresses, separated by commas. There are two special lines that need to be placed at the beginning of the distribution list for it to work properly:
Distribution-errors-to: username+@pitt.edu
This line provides an easy way to make sure delivery errors resulting from mail addressed to the distribution list are sent to the maintainer of the list instead of to the sender.
Distribution-content:
This line is mandatory. The list of recipients must follow this line. The recipient list should be a list of e-mail addresses, separated by commas.
Using a Distribution List
To send mail to the recipients listed in the distribution list, you need to use a special address format in your mail messages.
To: dist+~username/list.dl@pitt.edu
Replace "username" with your own username and "list.dl" with the pathname of your distribution list.
For example, if you have created a directory for your dlists, your To: line might look like this:
To: +dist+~username/dlists/my_dlist.dl@pitt.edu
The "+dist+" tells the delivery system that the rest of the address (until the "@" character) specifies the full pathname of the distribution list.
Normally, other users can send mail to the recipients in the distribution list using the same syntax listed above. Usually, the directory containing the lists is world-readable.
$ pwd
/afs/pitt.edu/usr15/droopy/dlists
$ fs la .
Access list for . is
Normal rights: system:
anyuser rl
username rlidwka
If you do not want your dlists directory to be world-readable, you should give the special user "postman" access to your directory.
$ fs sa . postman rl
$ fs la .
Access list for . is
Normal rights:
system:anyuser l
postman rl
droopy rlidwka
To check the syntax of an AMDS distribution list, use the "dlchk" command:
$ /usr/local/bin/dlchk -d filename
If there are any syntax problems in the file itself, dlchk will report them. For more information about distribution lists, login to one of the NS UNIX services and type "help dlists."