Web Interface Access

ListManager supports a number of features for controlling access to the web interface. These features are:

Name/password access

Both the user and administrator portions of the web interface require a username and password. In the case of members, the username is always the email address. For administrators, a password is required. For users, the list administrator can decide whether passwords should be used at all, optional or required.

Visitors

The web interface supports the concept of a "visitor", which is a person who is not a member of the mailing list, but should nonetheless be given access to read the archives of the mailing list. "Visitors: yes/no" is a list administrator controlled setting, on a list-by-list basis.

Http

The web interface is a standard CGI script, and supports being run from within a secure web server, using SSL encryption. Doing this prevents the possibility of "packet sniffing" by outsiders who are trying to determine your passwords.

Admin=

You can specify the TCP/IP addresses who are allowed to access the Admin portion of the web interface. If the person connecting is not in the TCP/IP addresses specified (or range of TCP/IP addresses specified), the "admin" button does not appear, and they are not allowed to the admin login page if they try to use the direct URL.

User=

You can specify the TCP/IP addresses who are allowed to access the user portion of the web interface. If the person connecting is not in the TCP/IP addresses specified (or range of TCP/IP addresses specified), the web interface gives them a "you are not allowed" message and does not display any pages.

Custom web interface

The web interface is written in Tcl and the complete source code is included. You are welcome to change the web interface to suit your needs. No royalties are paid to us and no permission need be requested of us in order to do this. Some people write just a few pages for subscribing and unsubscribing, and do not show their "public" users that the web interface even exists.

Separate web interfaces

You can install two copies of the web interface, using separate script names, separate virtual servers or even separate machines. By using the user=, admin= and "custom web interface" features described above, your users will only see the features that you want them to see.