Re: META: tutorial: set up your own lunatic filter

From: Michael S. Lorrey (mlorrey@datamann.com)
Date: Thu Jan 11 2001 - 09:56:46 MST


Since I use netscape, I simply set up a new filter that sends anything
containing the words J** and D**s to the trashbin, where he belongs,
which I can read with humor if I feel like it. I simply love how he is
ranting on about obeying list rules that only he seems to be aware of,
while overposting more than I do, which is a rule that does exist but
apparently doesn't apply to him (more Joe Dees hypocrisy). As for me,
being the black pot here, guilty as charged. I've had to get in the
practice of keeping count of my posts to the list. I suggest that Joe do
the same, and I personally ask that guns discussions happen on
exi-freedom as a favor to me, because otherwise my daily ration of 6
posts gets eaten up too quickly for me to contribute on any other
subject....and I do get carried away, as I did yesterday, despite trying
to restrain myself, and I did hold a couple posts over to today so as to
not freak out too many people.

So Joe: You don't get to be the arbiter of proper content on the list.
That is Greg Burch's job. Neither do you get to rant and rave over
anything you don't want on the list. That's called flaming, if you are
not already aware, and is quite against list rules. If you can't create
simple to make filters to remove content you don't want to read, then I
suggest you spend a little less time ranting and a little more time
reading software manuals. PLUS: your mirroring of other people's posts,
without alteration or additional comment, is spamming, and is also
against list rules.

Russell Whitaker wrote:
>
> Howdy. For those uninterested in having their mailboxes
> cluttered with lunatic rants, here's a tutorial on how
> to set up a lunatic filter.
>
> This assumes that you receive your list mail through an
> ISP running some flavor of Unix with a standard local MDA
> (mail delivery agent) such as /bin/mail or /usr/local/bin/procmail.
> (I do, but have it forwarded to Hotmail for convenience.)
>
> Make sure your shell account host has procmail available
> for use (do a "which procmail" at a shell prompt).
> If available:
>
> 1.) Create directory ~/.procmail:
> % mkdir ~/.procmail
>
> 2.) Create file ~/.procmailrc with these contents
> (modify with actual user values):
>
> PATH=/bin:/usr/bin:/usr/local/bin:/home/<username>/bin # example path
> PMDIR=$HOME/.procmail # literal directory name: location of filter
> rules and log file
> MAILDIR=$HOME/mail # example directory: filtered mail spooled here
> DEFAULT=$HOME/inbox # example default mailspool: could be
> /var/mail/<username> on some systems
> LOGFILE=$PMDIR/procmail.log # you'll want this for debugging
> VERBOSE=off
> SHELL=/bin/sh
> INCLUDERC=$PMDIR/rc.devnull # name of your procmail recipe file
> COMSAT=off
>
> 3.) In directory ~/.procmail, create your procmail recipes
> file (in this case "rc.devnull"), with contents like this
> (the exact example here being merely theoretical):
>
> # save mail filtered on the "From" line match to $MAILDIR/joedees,
> # for future amusement, or evidence.
> :0
> * ^From:.*joedees@addall.com
> joedees
>
> or
>
> # simply discard mail from example destination
> :0
> * ^From:.*joedees@addall.com
> /dev/null
>
> 4.) Create or modify your ~/.forward file to contain:
>
> <username>, # usually, your local username
> "|IFS=' '&&exec /usr/local/bin/procmail -f-||exit 75 #<username>"
>
> "/usr/local/bin/procmail" is a typical location; use the value of
> "which procmail" above or "/usr/bin/env procmail" if your
> system supports it.
>
> Some enlightened sysadmins actually have procmail
> set up as the local MDA, in which case step #4 above is
> unnecessary.
>
> At least one emotionally unbalanced person on this list
> has threatened to change email addresses if list members
> don't listen to his rants. That's OK. Once he/she shows
> up and engages in similar rants, it's easy to add recipe lines
> to ~/.procmail/rc.devnull. It takes much less effort to
> add the recipe than it does for that person to change email
> addresses. Let him/her waste time trying.
>
> Here's a reference if you're interested:
> "http://userpages.umbc.edu/~ian/procmail.html"
>
> Have fun,
> Russell
> _________________________________________________________________
> Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com



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