LISTSERV(R) System Reference Library, release 1.8c

Copyright L-Soft international, 1986-1996
Last update: 13 Aug 1996

LISTSERV command reference cards:

LISTSERV REFCARD: General user commands

LISTOWNR REFCARD: List and file management commands

LISTMAST REFCARD: Commands for the LISTSERV administrat

Commands are listed in alphabetical order, with the minimum acceptable abbreviation in capital letters. Angle brackets are used to indicate optional parameters. All commands which return a file accept an optional 'F=fformat' keyword (without the quotes) that lets you select the format in which you want the file sent; the default format is normally appropriate in all cases. Some esoteric, historical or seldom-used commands and options have been omitted. List subscription commands (from most to least important)

SUBscribe listname <full_name> ; Subscribe to a list, or change your name if already subscribed ANONYMOUS ; Subscribe anonymously

SIGNOFF Remove yourself: listname - From the specified list * - From all lists on that server * (NETWIDE - From all lists in the network

SET listname options

Alter your subscription options:

ACK/NOACK/MSGack ; Acknowledgements for postings

CONCEAL/NOCONCEAL ; Hide yourself from

REVIEW Mail/NOMail ; Toggle receipt of mail

MIME/NOMIME ; Prefer/avoid MIME format (especially MIME digests)

DIGests/INDex/NODIGests/NOINDex ; Ask for digests or message indexes rather than getting messages as they are posted

REPro/NOREPro ; Copy of your own postings?

TOPICS: ALL <+/ ;topicname ; Select topics you are subscribed to (add/remove one or replace entire list)

Options for mail headers of incoming postings (choose one):

FULLhdr or FULL822 ; "Full" (normal) mail headers

IETFhdr ; Internet-style headers

SHORThdr or SHORT822 ; Short headers

DUALhdr ; Dual headers, useful with PC or Mac mail programs

SUBJecthdr ; Normal header with list name in subject line

CONFIRM listname1 ; Confirm your subscription (when LISTSERV requests it)

GETPOST listname ; Order individual messages from list archives

INDex listname ; Sends a directory of available archive files for the list, if postings are archived

Lists <option> ; Send a list of lists as follow:

(no option) ; Local lists only, one line per list Detailed ; Local lists, full information returned in a file

Global /xyz ; All known lists whose name or title contains 'xyz'

SUMmary <host> ; Membership summary for all lists on specified host

SUMmary ALL ; For all hosts (long output, send request via mail!)

SUMmary TOTAL ; Just the total for all hosts

Query listname ; Query your subscription options for a particular list (use the SET command to change them)

* ; Query all lists you are subscribed to on that server

REGister full_name ; Tell your name to LISTSERV, so that you don't have to specify it onsubsequent SUBSCRIBE's

OFF Make LISTSERV forget your name

REView listname <options> Get information about a list

BY sort_field ; Sort list in a certain order:

Country by country of origin

Name by name (last, then first)

NODEid by hostname/nodeid

Userid by userid

BY (field1 field2) ; You can specify more than one sort field if enclosed in parentheses: BY (NODE NAME)

Countries ; Synonym of BY COUNTRY

LOCal ; Don't forward request to peers

Msg ; Send reply via interactive messages (BITNET users only)

NOHeader ; Don't send list header

Short ; Don't list subscribers

SCAN listname text Scan a list's membership for a name or address

SEArch listname word1 < word2 <..> > Search list archives

or: word1 < word2 <..> > IN listname

FROM date1 ; From this date

TODAY ; From today

TODAY-7 ; In the last 7 days

TO date2 ; To this date

WHERE

SUBJECT CONTAINS xxxx ; Only this subject

AND/OR

SENDER CONTAINS xxxx ; Only this author; Complex boolean operations are supported, see database guide

STats listname <(options> Get statistics about a list (VM) LOCal ; Don't forward to peers

Informational commands

Help                 Obtain a list of commands

INFO <topic> Order a LISTSERV manual, or get

        listname ; a list of available ones (if no topic was specified); or get information about a list

Query File fn ft <filelist> <(options> ; Get date/time of last update of a file, and GET/PUT file access code FLags ; Get additional technical data (useful when reporting problems to experts)

RELEASE Find out who maintains the server and the version of the software and network data files

SHOW

ALIAS node1 <node 2> ; BITNET nodeid to Internet hostname mapping

BITEARN (VM only) ; Statistics about the BITEARN NODES fil

DISTribute ; Statistics about DISTRIBUTE

DPATHs host1 <host2> ; DISTRIBUTE path from that server to specified host(s)

DPATHs * ; Full DISTRIBUTE path tree

FIXes (VM only) ; List of fixes installed on the server (non-VM see LICENSE)

HARDWare or HW ; Hardware information

LICense ; License/capacity information and software build date

LINKs node1 <node 2> ; Network links at the BITNET node(s) in question

NADs node1 <node2> ; Addresses LISTSERV recognizes as node administrators

NETwork (VM only) ; Statistics about the NJE network

NODEntry node1 <node2> ; BITEARN NODES entry for the specified node(s)

NODEntry node1 /abc*/xyz ; Just the ':xyz.' tag and all tags whose name starts with 'abc'

PATHs snode node1 <node2> ; BITNET path between 'snode' and the specified node(s)

POINTs <ALL | list1 list2 ...>; Graduated license point information for planning

STATs ; Usage statistics (default option)

VERSion ; Same as RELEASE command

no function) ; Same as SHOW STATS

Commands related to file server functions

AFD Automatic File Distribution

ADD fn ft <filelist> Add file or generic entry to your AFD list

DELete fn ft <filelist> Delete file(s) from your AFD list (wildcards are supported)

List Displays your AFD list

For node administrators:

FOR user ADD/DEL/LIST etc. ; Perform requested function on behalf of a user you have control over (wildcards are supported for DEL and LIST)

FUI File Update Information: same syntax as AFD, except that FUI ADD accepts no 'prolog text'

GET fn ft <filelist> <(options> Order the specified file or package

PROLOGtext xxxx ; Specify a 'prolog text' to be inserted on top of the file

GIVE fn ft <filelist> <TO> user Sends a file to someone else

INDex <filelist>  Same as GET xxxx FILELIST (default is LISTSERV FILELIST)

PW function Define/change a "personal password" for protecting AFD/FUI subcriptions, authenticating PUT commands, and so on

ADD firstpw ; Define a password for the first time

CHange newpw <PW=oldpw> ; Change password

RESET ; Reset (delete) password

SENDme Same as GET

Other (advanced) commands

DATAbase

Search DD=ddname <ECHO=NO> -> Perform database search (see INFO DATABASE for more information on this)

List -> Get a list of databases available from that server

REFRESH dbname -> Refresh database index, if suitably privileged

DBase Same as DATABASE

DISTribute <type> <source> <dest> <options> Distribute a file or a mail message to a list of users (see INFO DIST for more details on the syntax)

MAIL ; Data is a mail message, and recipients are defined by '<dest>'

FILE ; Data is not mail, recipients are defined by '<dest>'

RFC822 ; Data is mail and recipients are defined by the RFC822 'To:'/'cc:' fields

Source: DD=ddname ; Name of DDname holding the data to distribute (default: 'DD=DATA')

Dest:

<TO> user1 <user2> ; List of recipients

<TO> DD=ddname ; One recipient per line

Options for the general user:

ACK=NOne/MAIL/MSG ; Acknowledgement level (default: ACK=NONE)

CANON=YES ; 'TO' list in 'canonical' form (uid1 host1 uid2 host2...)

DEBUG=YES ; Do not actually perform the distribution; returns debug path information

NFORM=MAIL ; Send file delivery message to recipients via mail

TRACE=YES ; Same as DEBUG=YES, but file is actually distributed

Options requiring privileges:

FROM=user ; File originator

FROM=DD=ddname ; One line: 'address name'

FOR user command Execute a command on behalf of another user (for node administrators)

SERVE user Restore service to a disabled user

THANKs Check the server is alive

UDD Access the User Directory Database (there are 18 functions and many sub-functions, so the syntax is not given here)

filelist = 1 to 8 characters from the following set: A-Z 0-9 $#@+-_:

fformat = Netdata, Card, Disk, Punch, LPunch, UUencode, XXencode, VMSdump, MIME/text, MIME/Appl, Mail

fn = same syntax as 'filelist'

ft = same syntax as 'filelist' full_name = firstname <middle_initial> surname (*not* your e-mail address)

host = Internet hostname

listname = name of an existing list

node = BITNET nodeid or Internet hostname of a BITNET machine which has taken care of supplying a ':internet.' tag in its BITEARN NODES entry

pw = A password with characters from the set: A-Z 0-9 $#@_-?!|%

user = Any valid Internet address not longer than 80 characters; if omitted, the 'hostname' part defaults to that of the command originator