The linuxfromscratch.org server is hosting the following publicly accessible mailing lists:
lfs-support
lfs-dev
lfs-announce
lfs-security
lfs-book
lfs-chat
alfs-discuss
blfs-dev
blfs-book
blfs-support
The lfs-support mailing list provides support to users building an LFS system as far as the end of the main book. Requests for help with installing software beyond the base system should go to the blfs-support list.
The lfs-dev mailing list discusses matters strictly related to the LFS-BOOK. If problems with the book come up, a bug or two need to be reported, or suggestions to improve the book should be made, this mailing list is the right one.
Requests for help should go to lfs-support or blfs-support.
The lfs-announce list is a moderated list. It can be subscribed to, but you can't post any messages to this list. This list is used to announce new stable releases. The lfs-dev list will carry information about development releases as well. If a user is already on the lfs-dev list, there's little use subscribing to this list as well because everything that is posted to the lfs-announce list will be posted to the lfs-dev list as well.
The lfs-security mailing list discusses security-related matters. Security concerns or security problems with a package used by LFS, should be addressed on this list.
The lfs-book list is used by the LFS-BOOK editors to co-ordinate lfs-book's maintenance, like XML issues and the like. Actual discussion on what should be added and removed take place on lfs-dev.
The lfs-chat list is a hangout place for members of the LFS Community (that includes you as well) and just chat about stuff. Doesn't even have to be computer related. Anything goes, nothing is off-topic.
The alfs-discuss list discusses the development of ALFS, which stands for Automated Linux From Scratch. The goal of this project is to develop an installation tool that can install an LFS system automatically. Its main goal is to speed up compilation by taking away the need to manually enter the commands to configure, compile, and install packages.
The blfs-dev mailing list discusses matters related to the BLFS-BOOK (Beyond LFS). If problems with the book come up, a bug or two need to be reported, or suggestions to improve the book (such as suggestions as to installation instructions to add) are to be made, this mailing list is the right one.
Requests for help with programs beyond the base LFS setup (not just those in BLFS) should go to blfs-support.
The blfs-book list is used by the BLFS-BOOK editors to co-ordinate blfs-book's maintenance, like XML issues and the like. Actual discussion on what should be added and removed should take place on blfs-dev.
The blfs-support list deals with support requests for any software not installed in the LFS book. The list is not just for help with software explicitly mentioned in the BLFS book, any software beyond that installed as part of the base LFS system can be discussed here.
All these lists are archived and can be viewed online at http://archive.linuxfromscratch.org/mail-archives or downloaded from http://ftp.linuxfromscratch.org/mail-archives or ftp://ftp.linuxfromscratch.org/mail-archives.
You do not need to be subscribed to a mailing list in order to post to it. However, if you post to a list you're not subscribed to, make sure you mention this in your email so the list members can put you in the CC: header of an email in order for you receive the replies.
The post address for a list is in the format of listname@linuxfromscratch.org where listname can be one of the lists in the Available lists section above. Examples of post addresses are lfs-dev@linuxfromscratch.org, lfs-support@linuxfromscratch.org and blfs-support@linuxfromscratch.org.
Any of the above-mentioned mailinglists can be subscribed to by sending an email to listar@linuxfromscratch.org and writing subscribe listname as the subject header of the message.
Multiple lists at the same time can be subscribed to by using one email. This is done by leaving the subject blank and putting all the commands in the body of the email. The email will look like:
To: listar@linuxfromscratch.org
Subject:
subscribe lfs-dev
subscribe blfs-support
subscribe alfs-discuss
After the email is sent, the Listar program will reply with an email requesting a confirmation of the subscription request. After this confirmation email is sent back, Listar will send an email again with the message that the user has been subscribed to the list(s) along with an introduction message for that particular list.
To unsubscribe from a list, send an email to listar@linuxfromscratch.org and write unsubscribe listname as the subject header of the message.
Multiple lists can be unsubscribed at the same time using one email. This is done by leaving the subject header blank and putting all the commands in the body of the email. The email will look like:
To: listar@linuxfromscratch.org
Subject:
unsubscribe lfs-dev
unsubscribe blfs-support
unsubscribe alfs-discuss
After the email is sent, the Listar program will reply with an email requesting a confirmation of the unsubscription request. After this confirmation email is sent back, Listar will send an email again with the message that the user has been unsubscribed from the list(s).
The modes that can be set by a user require sending an email to listar@linuxfromscratch.org. The modes themselves are set by writing the appropriate commands in the subject header of the message.
As the name implies, the Set command tells what to write to set a mode. The Unset command tells what to write to unset a mode.
The word "listname" in the example subject headers below should be replaced with the listname to which the mode is going to be applied. If more than one mode is to be set (to the same list or multiple lists) with one email, this can be done by leaving the subject header blank and writing all the commands in the body of the message instead.
Set command: set listname digest
Unset command: unset listname digest
All lists have the digest mode available which can be set after a user has subscribed to a list. Being in digest mode will cause you to stop receiving individual messages as they are posted to the list and instead receive one email a day containing all the messages posted to the list during that day.
There is a second digest mode called digest2. When a user is set to this mode he will receive the daily digests but will also continue to receive the individual messages to the lists as they are posted. To set this mode, substitute digest for digest2 in the command.
Set command: set listname vacation
Unset command: unset listname vacation
If a user is going to be away for a while or wishes to stop receiving messages from the lists but doesn't want to unsubscribe, he can change to vacation mode. This has the same effect as unsubscribing, but without having to go through the unsubscribe process and then later through the subscribe process again.