> > *Why* can't ./configure open conftest.py? > > > > To answer that question, obtain the following: > > > > 1) ls -ld of the containing directory ('.' in ./configure) > > > This bring up the following: > > [smudette:~/mailman-2.0.8] mailman% ls -ld > drwxrwsr-x 33 4101 4101 1078 Nov 27 17:54 .
This is bad. How did you get unpacked source that's not owned by any known user or group? Once again, I refer you to INSTALL, section 2. Let me quote and emphasize this time: You should not be root while performing the steps in this section. Do them under your own login, or whatever account you typically ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ install software as. You do not need to do these steps as user mailman, but you could. Make sure that you have write permissions to the target ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ installation directory, and permission to create a setgid file in ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ the file system where it resides (NFS and other mounts can be ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ configured to inhibit setgid settings). > > 2) output of id *from the same state you're running ./configure* > > (i.e. run ./configure and see the failure, and then immediately > > run id at the next shell prompt) > > [smudette:~/mailman-2.0.8] mailman% id > uid=5990(mailman) gid=0(wheel) groups=0(wheel), 5990(mailman) User 'mailman' and group 'mailman' clearly do not have permission to write '.'. This is clearly the problem. It has nothing at all do to with Mailman, configure, or Python; this is strictly a Unix file-permissions issue. If this still makes no sense to you, I recommend getting some help from a more-experienced Unix administrator local to you so you can have the back-and-forth that will clarify the issue. > To my non-mailman-expert eyes, it appears as though the user mailman > with the UID of 5990 is in the groups wheel and mailman. It also > appears the directory containing the distro is owned by a phantom user > (4101). > > Now, to ask the same question again... > > Is there a permissions problem based on the owner:group of 4101 on the > distro and the owner:group I wish to run/install mailman as? Is there a > problem with the user 4101 (which doesn't exist on my system) trying to > run configure or Python? Where do I need to make the changes to get > this going? You need to change the ownership and group of the sources before you start. I always own the mailman sources with my own uid and group; it's only the installation process that sets the real final 'mailman' and 'gid' permissions. > Hopefully, this time, the question is clearer and I can get mailman up > and running some time very soon. Every line in INSTALL should be treated as important information, all the more so if you don't fully understand it. ------------------------------------------------------ Mailman-Users mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/mailman-users Mailman FAQ: http://www.python.org/cgi-bin/faqw-mm.py