[mdlug] mailman on ubuntu

[Ron / BCLUG]

Carl T. Miller wrote on 2024-04-28 06:30:

> Does anyone know what's going on with mailman on ubuntu?

Ah, just did a deep dive into this very topic...


> After falling into a deep pit of installation and configuration
> problems I discovered that mailman2's components are
> past EOL.  So mailman2 is a no-go.

Yeah, mailman2 depends on Python2, which is EOL over four years ago.


> I found several examples of how to install mailman3 on 22.04,
> but none of them worked.  The mailman3 and mailman3-all
> packages are no longer in the repos.  Only mailman3-web
> is still there, and it did not install properly.  What's up Ubuntu?

I believe the preferred method of installation is via Python venv, so 
mailman3-web is the only package via `apt` as the rest are python modules.


> I then tried installing mailman3 from source, and ran into
> some problems I could resolve, but ultimately failure.
> 
> Any thoughts on the topic?

I have extensive notes on the process, about ½ of it is profanities. 
Haven't yet written it up on a blog post.

After going through the entire process a few times, the final result is 
quite pleasing to look at and interact with.

Searching the mailing list archives? Great idea.  Being able to post / 
reply within the browser when looking at messages in the archive? Also a 
decent concept.

Using PostgreSQL (or MySQL or SQLite) as a storage mechanism?  I'm okay 
with that; always hated mbox and who doesn't shudder when someone hacks 
together a spreadsheet into a pseudo-database?


Having 16-ish Python interpreters running at all times?  WTH?


RAM usage is deplorable:

Memory usage on Mailman3:

  └─» # free -h
                total        used        free      shared  buff/cache 
available
Mem:           2.0Gi       1.3Gi       230Mi        65Mi       491Mi   656Mi
Swap:          1.0Gi       121Mi       902Mi

  └─» # systemctl stop mailman3*

  └─» # free -h
                total        used        free      shared  buff/cache 
available
Mem:           2.0Gi       293Mi       1.2Gi        64Mi       490Mi   1.6Gi
Swap:          1.0Gi       121Mi       902Mi


So, VPS with nginx, postgres, postfix, postgrey, dovecot, sshd, 
opendkim,... takes ~300MB RAM.

Firing up Mailman3 adds 1000MB RAM consumed to that! For *mailing list* 
software!


I'd be happy to help out with the venv installation process Carl. Lemme 
know.


rb