ARCHIVED: On my LISTSERV list, how can I modify the list header?

This content has been archived, and is no longer maintained by Indiana University. Information here may no longer be accurate, and links may no longer be available or reliable.

Note: IU retired its LISTSERV system in spring 2012, replacing it with IU List, a new mailing list service. See About IU List

To modify the header of your LISTSERV list, you can use email to send a command to the LISTSERV server requesting a copy of the list header file. Modify the list header, and then email it back to the LISTSERV server. Your changes take effect immediately, as long as the new list header passes the edit checks and your password is correct.

You can modify the header of your LISTSERV list by sending email commands or using the LISTSERV web interface.

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Using LISTSERV commands

Note: For Indiana University LISTSERV mailing lists, send all commands to the appropriate address for your list:

  Campus Server address
  IU Bloomington listserv@indiana.edu
  IUPUI listserv@iupui.edu
  IU Kokomo listserv@iuk.edu
  IU Northwest listserv@iun.edu
  IU South Bend listserv@iusb.edu
  IU Southeast listserv@ius.edu

Never send commands to the address of the mailing list (e.g., to listname@indiana.edu). Send only messages intended for members of the list to the list's address.

To use email commands to modify the list header:

  1. Request the list header by sending the following command in the body (not subject) of an email message addressed to the LISTSERV server:
      GET listname (HEADER

    Replace listname with the name of your list. LISTSERV will send you an email message that contains the list header information.

    Note: Issuing the GET command locks your list, which means that no one can subscribe to or unsubscribe from the list, and no other owner can use the GET command. Try not to keep the header locked longer than necessary. If you decide not to make header changes, you can unlock the header with the following command:

      UNLOCK listname
  2. Modify the list header; after sending the GET command to LISTSERV, you can use a text editor to modify the file. For more, see ARCHIVED: What information is stored in a LISTSERV list header file?
  3. Once you've finished modifying the list header, send it back in the body (not subject) of an email message addressed to the LISTSERV server. Include the following line along with the revised header information:
      PUT listname LIST PW=X

    Replace listname with the name of your list and XXXXXXXX with your LISTSERV personal password (see ARCHIVED: In LISTSERV, how do I set or change a personal password?). To make sure you don't forget to include this command, LISTSERV inserts it automatically at the top of the file that you retrieve with the GET command.

    Warning: Do not attempt to add subscribers by adding them to the bottom of a list header PUT operation. If you do this, and the list is not locked (e.g., you've done a GET with the NOLOCK option, or have unlocked the list manually prior to your PUT), LISTSERV will replace all of your existing subscribers with the new subscribers you've added at the bottom of your list header.

Your changes take effect immediately, as long as the new list header passes the edit checks and your password is correct.

For more detailed information on LISTSERV owner commands, send the following command to LISTSERV:

  INFO OWNERS

You can also find a list of header keywords and other LISTSERV documentation in the L-Soft Documentation and Manuals.

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Using the IU LISTSERV web interface

At IU, to edit the list header using the LISTSERV web interface:

  1. For Indiana University LISTSERV lists, visit the menu for your campus:

    Log in using your IU email address and LISTSERV password, and then from the List Management menu at the top, select List Dashboard. Under "List Name", click Configure under the name of the list you wish to edit. If you do not have a LISTSERV personal password, see ARCHIVED: In LISTSERV, how do I set or change a personal password?

  2. From the List Configuration page, under "Complete List Header", click Edit Manually.
  3. Edit the list header for your LISTSERV list. Click Submit to save your changes.

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This is document adyi in the Knowledge Base.
Last modified on 2018-01-18 12:04:59.