SmartList's X-Diagnostic: messages

This explanation is primarily prepared for list administrators at RootsWeb who want to better understand the X-Diagnostic line messages that SmartList puts into mail headers in returns from the server.

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List administrators will need to look at the raw headers or full headers of the message returned to see these X-Diagnostic messages.  For those who don't know how to do this please consult your software HELP pages.  We will be developing a page with some guidance on this in the future.

Notes:

• There are some terms used in the explanations which are referred to in a glossary of terms.
• More information is available for list administrators at RootsWeb Utility Pages
• X-Diagnostic lines are basically cumulative,as every time a condition is met, SmartList adds an X-Diagnostic line.

X-Diagnostic lines explanations

Glossary of Terms

X-Diagnostic lines explanations

• Processed
• Unprocessed
• Not on the accept list
• Found on the reject list
• Already on the subscriber list
• Added to the subscriber list
• Tried to subscribe
• Help sent
• Undecipherable, help sent
• Submission size exceeds XXXXX limit bytes
• Mail coming from a daemon, ignored
• Possible loopback problem
• Suspicious X-Command: XXXXXXXXXXXX format
• Not confident enough to autoremove the offending address
• From <address1> yyyy <address2> xxxxx
• Mail to <address> bounced <x> times
• Bounces exceed threshold of <x>
• Removed: <address>         32752

X-Diagnostic: Processed

SmartList has done some operations with this mail (not sent it to the list though). This does not mean that the right things have been done.  Read further X-Diagnostic lines for information.

X-Diagnostic: Unprocessed

SmartList has done nothing to this mail; it has just passed through the administrative -request without performing operations.  This could mean that it does not understand what should have happened or that there is nothing that should be happening. For instance, if you are manually subscribing email addresses it will be passed to you unprocessed.

X-Diagnostic: Not on the accept list

This message will only be seen when you are operating your list
•  with a restricted archive; or
•  as a closed list (no foreign posts)
So, someone has tried to either get mail to your list or query the email archives.  They are not on your
accept  list so the mail has been sent to your for your action, it will also be unprocessed .

To make the decision a comparison was done on the address (utilising a program called multigram ) and it didn't closely match any of those in your accept files.

X-Diagnostic: Found on the reject list

The address is either found on your mailing list's reject list (editable by you) or the RootsWeb global reject list.  Email addresses manually subscribed to a list by a list administrator overrides the reject list.
NOTE : RootsWeb has further relevant information about reject lists on the List Administrator help pages.

X-Diagnostic: Already on the subscriber list

This person is already subscribed to the list so subsequent subscription requests are passed over.  This can happen when people have had bouncing mail and believe that they have been unsubscribed.

NOTE
1. Sometimes this message will appear when people are trying to do something else like unsubscribe, retrieve files from the archives, etc.  It basically means that some part of the message has not been understood but it fulfils the broad criteria to flag this message. Thus it can be misleading so look at the context of the message.
2. If you manually subscribe an email address then you can subscribe someone more than once and in these circumstances this safeguard is by-passed.

X-Diagnostic: Added to the subscriber list

This email address has been added to your mailing list.  You have received this post because in your RC.CUSTOM (customization) file, the setting notify list administrator when someone subscribes is set to ON .  If you don't want these messages, edit your customization file from the link on your list's utility page.

X-Diagnostic: Tried to subscribe

It occurs when someone sends a subscribe request that is understood by SmartList, but for some reason(s) the `subscribe' program, which actually updates the mailing list files, fails to run properly.  Usually this is with the use of the subscreen program.

X-Diagnostic: help sent

This person emailed your list -request address and either asked for the help file or left the message blank, so SmartList returned the help file.  Note that this means that you have got the settings set so that you are to be notified when this happens.

X-Diagnostic: undecipherable, help sent

This person emailed your list -request address and made a hash of something, so SmartList returned the help file.  Note that this means that you have got the settings set so that the help file IS returned (set in list's customization) and that you are to be notified when this happens.

X-Diagnostic: Submission size exceeds XXXXX limit bytes

Generally seen when a post has been sent to your list that exceeds the maximum size limit.   This is a setting in the RC.CUSTOM file for your file. Complete digests bouncing back as undeliverable can cause this X-Diagnostic flag.  One of these situations of needing to read the other headers.

X-Diagnostic: Mail coming from a daemon, ignored

This mail has been generated by another computer somewhere out on the internet and is not from a person.  As messages from computers are unlikely to be for the list or relevance it is therefore diverted to the list administrator.  If you get this recurring  for a subscriber then it may be best addressed to the listmaster as tweaks/adjustments can be made.  Note that this is rarely the case and thus necessary.

On some rare occasions SmartList can be confused and mail may actually be coming from a real person, circumstances can include a subscriber is using a 'reserved' word, eg. admin, root, daemon, etc. in their email address.  In this case check that it is a real email address and subscribe it.

NOTE : that this is another of those situations where this message is regularly seen in conjunction with other messages which take priority, eg. bounced mail, misguided subscriptions, etc.  Remember that it is rare that this is the problem so please read your X-Diagnostic messages carefully before reacting.

X-Diagnostic: Possible loopback problem

This may be seen where SmartList thinks that mail is going in a circle rather than being delivered.  It rarely happens but it may be the case, some administrators may see this more often than others if they have an ISP that may be more prone to loop mail.

NOTE :  This message will often be seen when RootsWeb notifies the administrator of bounced mail, especially after the offending address has been unsubscribed but before all the bounces have been cleared, thus thinking that there is another problem.  Keep a good check on other things before you get too worried about this.

X-Diagnostic: Suspicious X-Command: XXXXXXXXXXXX format

Seen by people who use the X-Command: email function to maintain their mailing lists.  Check that you have structured the command as required by SmartList (see the many files available on X-Commands) but things to check are are you using the right password, do you have the right maintainer address listed (check your RC.CUSTOM file), are you using a valid command?

 

X-Diagnostic: Not confident enough to autoremove the offending address 
X-Diagnostic: From <address1> yyyy <address2> xxxxx

The address that Smart List shows to be removed does not match the multigram criteria closely enough.  This could be because the address has already been unsubscribed, or that there is a difference between the subscribed address and the recognized bounced address, etc.  You will need to use your judgement whether you have to manually unsubscribe this person from your utility page.

The From: line shows the best match address <address1> that multigram can determine from your subscription list, the number 'yyyy' is the line  number of that address in the DIST file and the address <address2> that is determined as where the mail is bouncing from with the calculated multigram 'xxxxx'

X-Diagnostic: Mail to <address> bounced <x> times

The email that was sent from your list to a subscriber has bounced back from the ISP for one of a number of reasons.  The <address> is the one to which SmartList thinks that it has been returned from and the <x> is the number of times that this sender has bounced their email.  Note that <address> may not actually be an authentic subscriber, and there are a number of reasons for that which cannot be adequately handled by this reference card.

For interpretation of bounces see Interpreting bounces as a RootsWeb list administrator .

  X-Diagnostic: Bounces exceed threshold of <x>

This line will be seen in conjunction with the previous message, it denotes that the address receiving has bounced mail more times then your setting for bounced mail in your RC.CUSTOM file.

X-Diagnostic: Removed: <address> p;              32752

Bounced mail to the <address> exceeded the limit that you have set in your RC.CUSTOM file and has been removed from your mailing list.  The number in the line is the multigram match on the address. [Compare the numbers with the numbers in your RC.CUSTOM file for thresholds.
Note the figure 32732 is a perfect multigram match]

Glossary of terms

• ACCEPT file
• DAEMON
• DIST file
• HELP.TXT
• LISTMASTER
• LISTOWNERS-L
• MULTIGRAM
• RC.CUSTOM
• REJECT list
• UTILITY PAGE

ACCEPT file

The list of email addresses that can post to your mailing list, this setting also enables both LIST (-L) and DIGEST (-D) subscribers to seamlessly submit mail to the one mailing list.

For RootsWeb mailing list administrators to add alternative email addresses (usually variations on subscribers' email addresses) they can access this facility from the EDIT FILES button on their List Utility webpages.

DAEMON

A daemon is generally any program that handles requests for data. When you go to a http: URL in your Web browser, the program that takes your request and sends you stuff is called a "http daemon".  The program that handles incoming mail messages is called a "mail daemon." Just about everyone on the Net has gotten mail from a MAILER-DAEMON at least once in their lives.

DIST file (or subscribers list)

The list of email addresses that receive the email from a mailing list For RootsWeb mailing list administrators these pages are accessible from the EDIT FILES button on their List Utility webpages.

HELP.TXT

A file that gets returned by SmartList with help instructions.  This file can be edited to suit, and probably needs it as the default text is rather feeble.  If you do wish to change the text you will need the help of listmaster to help put it in place, however discuss it in the listowners list first.

LISTMASTER

This is an abbreviation for the email address listmaster@rootsweb.com
This is the email address for notifying RootsWeb of breakages in utility pages, new passwords and changes that need to made to your list configuration, etc.  Only for things that you cannot do yourself.

LISTOWNERS-L

This is an abbreviation for the email address listowners-L@rootsweb.com
This is the email address for the listowners mailing list at RootsWeb, the first port of call after reading the FAQs and not being able to work out what is the problem.  To send mail to this list you need to be subscribed .

MULTIGRAM

SmartList uses an email address matching program called MULTIGRAM [for more info (and a challenge <g>) on how this works consult the SmartList manual ] which is able to do either a loose, a medium or close match.  With these settings and values being defined in each list's customization file, RC.CUSTOM.

RC.CUSTOM

This is the customization file that sets up your lists peculiarities, and is reasonably editable by following the 'customization' link from the bottom of each list's utility page.  Note that you can request a copy of the rc.custom file to be emailed to you from your list's utility page.

REJECT list

The list of email addresses that cannot post or subscribe to your mailing list. For RootsWeb mailing list administsrators these pages are accessible from the EDIT FILES button on their List Utility webpages.

NOTE : RootsWeb maintains a global reject list that can be overridden by list administrators, this should be done with caution.  If necessary, check with listowners list or look at the listowner help pages.