Majordomo and some other mailing list packages require root or daemon
permissions to run.
Ecartis has an SMTP client library built in, allowing it to speak
directly to your local mailserver.
Ecartis likes to run suid to a user, but the user does not have to have
any special permissions; the suid is just to maintain file ownership.
Secure remote administration module
Ecartis allows you to perform administrative functions over e-mail in a
secure manner (preventing spoofing of admin addresses). No passwords to
remember; just send the 'admin' command and receive back a secured admin
job request to fill out and return.
Remote administration mode can also be disabled, for sites wanting
that extra bit of security. (Although thus far, no one has reported
finding a way to spoof Ecartis's authentication.)
Multiple platform support
Though Ecartis is developed under Linux, the developers make an effort
to ensure that it runs on SunOS 4.x, SunOS 5.x, FreeBSD, and BSDI, even
Tru64. If you have more platforms for us to try, let us know!
Easily expandable on-the-fly.
Ecartis has the option to be compiled in 'dynamic module' mode, where
much of the functionality is in dynamically loaded objects. This allows
new functionality to be readily coded, compiled, and dropped into the
'modules' directory without having to take down a running Ecartis
installation.
Ecartis uses runtime definitions for everything - user flags, commands,
processing hooks - which allows a new module to hook in and create
functionality pretty much wherever it desires.
Full source code
Did you even have to ask? :)
Fast support turnaround
Even though the developers of Ecartis do it entirely in their spare
time and for no money, they try to maintain a fairly quick turnaround on
feature requests and support mails.
Subscriber-customizable
Ecartis, like L-Soft Listserv, allows subscribers to set options on
their subscription. In the case of Ecartis, this takes the form of
'flags'. Modules can define new flags for users to set. For example, the
Digest module defines 'DIGEST' as a flag users can set on themselves,
which causes them to receive digested versions of lists instead.
Other features include
Ability to track and manage/remove bad subscription addresses.
Ability to strip MIME messages to plaintext, and remove MIME attachments.
