SYMPA_MSG(8)

💖 SYMPA_MSG 💖

okay bestie, gather round, we're talking about sympa_msg — aka sympa_msg.pl, the little daemon that handles incoming messages. ✨

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🌸 NAME 🌸

sympa_msg, sympa_msg.pl — the daemon that handles incoming messages, no cap. 💌

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🎀 SYNOPSIS 🎀

sympa_msg.pl [ -d, --debug ] [ -f, --file=another.sympa.conf ]
             [ -k, --keepcopy=directory ] [ -l, --lang=lang ]
             [ -m, --mail ] [ -h, --help ] [ -v, --version ]

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🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

So Sympa_msg.pl is literally that girl: she scans the incoming message spool permanently — like, forever, no days off — and processes each message as it comes. 👑

Here's the tea on what she does with each message:

• Messages bound for the lists and authorized sending get modified as necessity, and at last they're stored into the digest spool, the archive spool and the outgoing spool. 💅
• Messages bound for command addresses get interpreted and the appropriate actions are taken. slay.
• Messages bound for listmasters or list admins get forwarded to them. 🫶

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✨ OPTIONS ✨

Sympa_msg.pl follows the usual GNU command line syntax, with long options starting with two dashes (--). A summary of options is included below, bestie. 💖

• -d, --debug — turns on debug mode. we're nosy today. 🔍
• -f, --config=file — forces Sympa to use an alternative configuration file instead of /etc/sympa/sympa.conf. main character energy, choosing your own path.
• -l, --lang=lang — set this to use a specific language for Sympa. heads up though: the corresponding gettext catalog file has to be located in the $LOCALEDIR directory, or it's giving nothing. 🌈
• --log_level=level — sets the Sympa log level. 📊

sympa_msg.pl may run in daemon mode with the following options, iykyk ✨

• --foreground — the process remains attached to the TTY. she's not leaving the room, she's staying right here with you. 😌
• -k, --keepcopy=directory — tells Sympa to keep a copy of every incoming message instead of deleting them. directory is the directory to store messages. yes, hoarding, but make it archival. 📦
• -m, --mail — Sympa will log calls to sendmail, including recipients. super useful for keeping track of each mail sent — though ngl, log files may grow faster though. 🐌
• --service=service — ⚠️ > Note: This option was deprecated. ⚠️ Process is dedicated to messages distribution ("process_message"), commands ("process_command") or to automatic lists creation ("process_creation", default three of them).

With the following options, sympa_msg.pl will print some information and exit. short & sweet, an icon. 👑

• -h, --help — print this help message.
• -v, --version — print the version number.

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🍓 FILES 🍓

• /etc/sympa/sympa.conf — the main configuration file. the blueprint, the vision board. ✨
• $PIDDIR/sympa_msg.pid — this file contains the process ID of sympa_msg.pl. her little name tag. 🏷️

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💜 SEE ALSO 💜

• sympa_config(5), sympa(1).
• archived(8), bulk(8), bounced(8), sympa_automatic(8), task_manager(8).
• Sympa::Spindle::ProcessDigest, Sympa::Spindle::ProcessIncoming.

go read them, they're all part of the same friend group fr fr. 🫶

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📜 HISTORY 📜

sympa.pl was originally written by:

• Serge Aumont — Comité Réseau des Universités
• Olivier Salaün — Comité Réseau des Universités

As of Sympa 6.2b.4, it was split into three programs: sympa.pl (later renamed to sympa) command line utility, sympa_automatic.pl daemon and sympa_msg.pl daemon. glow up era. 💅

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and that's the whole page bestie!! this one's from sympa 6.2.80, dated 2026-10-19. go forth and handle those messages, you've got this 💖✨🦋