TULP 4.0.0

Section-Update: 28 Nov 94

TULP, like ListProc, started life when LISTSERV ran only under VM/CMS, as a program for people who wanted a LISTSERV feel on a Unix box. Unlike ListProc, however, TULP has stayed extremely true to the LISTSERV syntax, at least for the minimal feature set it supports--it has also, surprisingly, remained very simple.

TULP's author writes: "No other features are planned for this package. The author [plans] to develop a new freely available product named 'ML' which will be as simple as TULP [in its] installation and management, but which should add better management features. Development has not yet started and is not decided." (wolf@pasteur.fr to naleks@library.ummed.edu, 25 Nov 94)

Unusual features

TULP has two advantages over the other simple programs: first, most of its messages are centralized into one file, making it less difficult to write translations for other languages (French is already available). Second, it runs as a daemon, so that the maximum overhead it imposes on the system is fairly low. Note however that if you use TULP's Perl "deliver" routine, which is necessary to filter administrative messages from your mailing lists, you will have a (short) invocation of Perl for every message that arrives.

Features for users

In terms of the "philosophy dichotomy," TULP quietly thinks "small is beautiful" (it actually stays closer to this philosophy than any of the other packages), but it emulates a program that shouts: "BIG is beautiful!" The result, to someone used to LISTSERV, is sort of strange. While TULP is reliable and useful, it feels schizophrenic, or perhaps like a tease ... its commands look like LISTSERV's, its output looks like LISTSERV's, and it typically answers at the listserv user id, but it doesn't execute any but the simplest requests--there's no digest facility, no alternate headers, no database searching, minimal loop detection, and no global directory. Many people never use a command beyond the basics, though, and for them TULP will feel comfortably like LISTSERV.

Features for administrators

TULP configuration files retain a LISTSERV feel, taking a subset of LISTSERV keywords. However, they must be edited locally; remote administration is limited to the addition and removal of subscriber addresses and the approval of messages for moderated lists (using an "Approved:" header).

Mailing lists and other information resources

To discuss TULP, subscribe to listnix@grasp.insa-lyon.fr by writing "sub listnix Your Name" in the body of a message to listserv@grasp.insa-lyon.fr.

System requirements

A Unix system with a C compiler.

Cost and licensing

How to get it

Source code is available at ftp://ftp.univ-lyon1.fr/pub/systems/unix/mail/list-servers/tulp/