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Index of Subjects
CSuite Workshop Notes - October 23, 1996
Chebucto Suite Development Team
Next October 30, 1996
Previous October 16, 1996
Return to CSuite Workshop Index
Agenda:
* Distribution Update
* Testing Soltst
* Bulk Mail Design
* Chebucto Manual
* Information Providers' Committee Liaison
* Graphics
* Agenda Planning
_________________________________________________________________
Distribution Update
Landon Boyd presented an update on progress towards a new CSuite
Distribution Version. We have a new platform running a Solaris
compilation of CSuite.
The new box can be reached at http://soltst.cs.dal.ca/ and needs to
undergo a lot of beating before release, so all members of the team
are asked to take some time to check it out. User registration is via
the usual route Services/Registration/ or by logging in as guest. Of
course, once the registration is completed, then we should e-mail
Landon@chebucto.ns.ca to have the new test account activated, in lieue
of sending a cheque ;-)
We want to test all functions, so need to acquire necessary
permissions and interfaces from Landon to access some administrative
areas. This may involve the invention of needed interfaces to manage
these functions.
David Murdoch (djm@chebucto.ns.ca) will serve as Head of Testing.
David Benoit (benoit@chebucto.ns.ca) has some documentation on testing
that he will provide.
James and Andrew are documenting the install procedure. It is planned
to incorporate more live functions, and file editing interfaces,
rather than the current instructions to "go do ..."
All participants are requested to make notes and forward them to
csuite-test@chebucto.ns.ca [Change - Ed.]
Please note: For administrative purposes, a separate list has been set
up to facilitate testing feedback, called csuite-test@chebucto.ns.ca
(subscription via Majordomo.) This will help to keep csuite-dev for
its original purpose, discussion of development issues for Chebucto
Suite.
Concerns were raised about the variables ADDRESS and CURRENCY, and
whether they were still required.
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_________________________________________________________________
Bulk Mail Design
David Benoit presented his design for the Bulk Mail Processor:
Client:
. connect to the server to notify login, and tell server to send
any pending messages.
Server:
. recieve a connection from the client, and return to the client
if mail is to be sent.
. If there is mail to be sent, lock the user's mail file, and send the
mail (this can either be sent to the client to add, or done at the
system level)
. Once the mail is sent, remove the user from the database, and for
each message that was sent to the user, decrease the pending count
on that message.
. If the pending count on a message reaches 0, delete the message
from the mail directory.
. Expiries will be checked before notification is sent to the client,
to make sure that if all the mail that is to be sent to the user has
expired, the client will recieve notice that there is no mail.
. a mailer daemon will be running on: bulkmail.chebucto.ns.ca
. any bulkmail will be sent through this daemon. EG:
ccn-tech@bulkmail.chebucto.ns.ca
would send mail to the members of ccn-tech through the bulkmailer.
. bulkmail recieves a connection from the mailer daemon.
. a request will be made to send a new message.
. for each recipient:
. lookup the mail that is pending for the user
. remove the record from the database
. insert the new message ID
. put the user information back into the database
. the text of the message will then be put in the bulkmail directory
with the lowest message id that is available.
Additions:
. use identd as an authentication method
. have some sort of deferred creating of a mail message
. size limit
. keep list of addresses that message is sent to and a complete list
of the people that it was originally sent to.
. when the message is sent to a user, add them to the list of
recipients
. delete message number from list kept for the user after it is sent
Specials:
. gdbm file for forwarded addresses. This is updated using 'go forward'
. dynamic mailing lists (eg: all-users):
. have a separate gdbm file for each dynamic list
. same structure as the others except, for each user, store
what messages they have recieved
. when requesting bulkmail, server will know what dynamic lists
are active, and lookup the user in each one of those lists.
. have a default expiry date, be able to have a limit.
. when mail is sent to be processed, before adding, check if user is
logged in. If they are, send it immediately.
File Formats:
. bulkmail directory will consist of:
For regular messages:
. {msg_id}.msg - text of message (full headers included)
. {msg_id}.to - addresses of all potential recipients
. {msg_id}.sent - addresses of sucessfull recipents
. db.bulkmail - mail database will regular messages
For dynamic messages:
. {msg_id}.msg - text of message (full headers included)
. {msg_id}.sent - addresses of sucessful recipents
. db.{list-name} - database file (described above)
. db.msgIdIndex - number of messages unsent for each msg.
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Chebucto Users Manual
Tony Cianfaglione is continuing to develop a revision of the Chebucto
Users Manual, based on a version prepared by the Nova Scotia Atari
Computer Users Group. Tony is applying his userhelp experience to
verify the content, and David Murdoch will write a preface describing
the rationale for Community Networks, and Chebucto Community Net in
particular. A feedback postcard is also to be added. The resulting
work will be coordinated with the group appointed by the board, and
may involve the Atari group in a continuing way.
Return to Topic List
_________________________________________________________________
Information Providers Liason
Tony Cianfaglione is dropping his role as Technical Liason with the IP
Committee as well as his Health, Fitness and Recreation duties, due to
other committments.
Ed Dyer, as a CCN Editor, will take over the IP Committee liason role.
IP committee concerns lay around the "Group Editing" function, ftp
access and installation of documents for IP sites, and installation by
extracting zip files.
A desired function is to be able to explicitly assign/reassign the
IPE1 role, in view of its function as chief editor and ip-priv
mail-list owner. Possible delegation of Group Editing to the IPE1 is
understood to be requested, but concerns are raised as to the
appropriateness of that option. Concerns were raised as to
difficulties in accessing the IPDB, and Tony reported that he normally