This document is divided into six parts. The first three sections correspond to those commands available for use by the general LISTSERV user/subscriber, LISTSERV list owners and file owners, and the LISTSERV maintainer. The fourth section describes commands that could be used by more advanced users, or by users writing third-party scripts to interface with LISTSERV.  The last two sections describe how to send commands to LISTSERV, and how to register LISTSERV passwords.

Non-privileged users (typically, list subscribers) can send commands by mail or by interactive messages.

Note:  Interactive messages can be sent to LISTSERV only if a two-way NJE or MSGD connection exists. For all intents and purposes in the post-BITNET world, this is no longer possible.

Privileged users (typically, list owners and LISTSERV maintainers) can send commands by mail, interactive messages (subject to the same restriction previously noted) or via the console (z/VM) or the LCMD and LCMDX utilities (non-z/VM).  Privileged users may also send commands using the "LISTSERV Command" menu item found in LISTSERV's Web Administration Interface.

Unless otherwise noted, commands are listed in alphabetical order, with the minimum acceptable abbreviation in CAPital letters.

Parameters shown in italic type must be replaced with appropriate values.  For instance, in the example below, full_name must be replaced with the subscriber's name, e.g., "John Doe" or "Susan Roe".

Parameters which are mutually exclusive are enclosed in angle brackets (<>) and are separated by the logical OR symbol ('|').

Optional parameters are indicated by enclosure in square brackets ([ ]).

For instance:

SUBscribe listname <full_name | ANONYMOUS> [WITH option1 [option2] ... [optionN]]

In this case, note carefully the following:

      • Because the logical OR symbol is used, the two parameters "full_name" and "ANONYMOUS" are mutually exclusive, thus only one of them may be specified.
      • The "WITH" parameter (and its following option settings) is optional and may be omitted.
      • The nested brackets and ellipsis following "WITH option1" indicate that one or more option values may be specified.

Do not type the square brackets when using the optional parameters!  Where the use of square brackets and logical OR signs together could be confusing, we have shown each of the alternate configurations on separate lines.

All commands which return a file accept an optional 'F=fformat' parameter (without the quotes) that lets you select the format in which you want the file sent; the default format is normally appropriate in all cases.

Some esoteric, historical or seldom-used commands and options have been omitted.

Note: Some commands are not available on all platforms; these commands are marked appropriately.

Continuation cards (see the Advanced Topics Manual for LISTSERV regarding LISTSERV’s Commands-Job Language Interpreter, or CJLI) can be used to split long commands (for instance, ADD commands for users with long X.500 addresses) into two or more 80-character cards. In that case you must insert "// " (two slashes followed by a space) before the command text and a comma at the end of each line of the command so that CJLI considers it as a control card and performs the required concatenation. For instance,

// QUIET ADD MYLIST someone.with.a.real.long.userid.that.wraps@hishost.com ,
His Name

or, for instance, for a large GETPOST job,

// GETPOST MYLIST 10769-10770 10772 11079 11086 11095 11099-11100 11104 ,
11111 11115 11118 11121 11124 11131 11144 11147 11153 11158 11166 11168

Be sure to put a space before the comma at the end of the first line, as LISTSERV will not add the space for you.