Need help in configuring OpenEMM

In more detail:

1) downloaded OpenEMM zipfile, unzipped to c: (to give c:\OpenEMM)

2) downloaded and installed Python from http://www.python.org/download/releases/2.5.4/

3) downloaded and ran http://peak.telecommunity.com/dist/ez_setup.py

4) downloaded and installed (with easy_install.exe)
   http://sourceforge.net/project/downloading.php?group_id=22307&filename=MySQL_python-1.2.2-py2.5-win32.egg

5) downloaded and installed MySQL 5.1 from http://dev.mysql.com/downloads/
   (and gui tools; in reality, I already had this installed)

6) ran setup.bat:
  a) mysql password (twice) as installation
  b) redirection domain - left at default
  c) mail domain - gave as domain name of my mailserver
  d) smart relay - set to the IP of my mail server

7) ran start.bat, logged into http://localhost:8080/ as admin+openemm

Thanks DaveHowe,

Yes I've done most of the steps, but point 6b, 6c and 6d, I think I did some thing wrong there, can you please explain these 3 steps only, because in doc it's not very clear.

Highly appreciated your assistance.
And thanks again for your help.
EL

Ok, 6b - webserver aspect of the package. this is used for three things:

1) admin interface (perhaps obvious) - for this localhost is fine, doesn't matter too much.

2) opt in/out action forms - for this, the webserver needs to be web-accessable, so the entry should be a dns name or ip address visible from "outside" on the internet. if you have a dynamic IP, you should consider using dynamic dns for this.

3) web tracking bugs - again, the name used has to be web-reachable for this to work.

Second, 6c is the mail domain for inbound mail - this is used for bounce messages so you can "clean" your email lists. note that the package listens on port 25 for inbound bounces, so if you can't reach 25 from the internet, this doesn't matter.

Third, 6d is outbound smarthost. This is where you send your email to outbound, and is usually your own mailserver, or your isp's smarthost. if left blank, I assume this attempts to send directly to the recipients, but given I can't do this from inside this network, I haven't tested it.

for purposes of importing mailing lists, you don't need anything but a working database link, and a reachable admin interface (so localhost:8080 is fine for that, just web browse to http://localhost:8080/ and log in)

for sending outbound, you need to be able to either
a) reach mail recipients directly or
b) have entered into the 6d dialogue the address of a mailserver that will accept mail from you for forward delivery.

Great Thanks Mr. DaveHowe

But the problem are steps, I've done startup.bat - gave the 2 times password, and then start.bat too, now its running fine ... I think (attached some snaphots).

Mr. DaveHowe, I just need the the correct steps, what needs to be done next, after it is running:

1. setup & configuration step? - need your help over here, please
it is running on my windows xp desktop, accessing it using the same:
http://localhost:8080/ (OPEMM_welcome.jpg)

2. and then after clicking this link - (OPEMM_1.jpg)

3. how to send emails
4. how to configure port (587) as port 25 is blocked
5. how to import email list
6. checking statistics, what is these Actions, Target Group ?

Thanks for the explanation, but couldn't understand, if you please just tell me the steps; that go there and do this ... this kind of stuff will be benefited.

Highly highly appreciate your assistance & help.
Best regards & thanks a lot,
EL

Hi DaveHowe, can you assist ... ?
Thanks,
EL

Sorry, was away for a day :)

3) you apparently have already successfully "sent" one on the 18th - if you click on the mailings overview link "test from openemm" then "send mailing" tab at the top, it will show you the status of this mailing. if your mail server isn't accepting on port 25 though, you may have them stuck on the queue in the DB.

4) I would try running config.bat and setting the outbound mail relay to mailservername:587 - as there is no other place to set this. a quick look at the scripts seem to say that smtplib is used, and smtplib accepts the hostname:port convention.

5) there is an import function under the recipients menu - it expects a CSV of the users, with the first line comprising the column headings. suggested columns would be "first name" "last name" "email address" - there are other possible columns too, but the encodings are a bit strange in that they appear to expect a number (gender, title and mailtype)

6) actions are forms for things like opt in, opt out, confirm... target groups are really subsets of the mailing list based on some criteria - exactly how that is captured is not given, but you can import custom profile fields so I guess that is where you set that. I don't actually use this program, so I don't know :)

Great help Mr. DaveHowe, as I'm right now in office, and it is running on my home desktop, will test it from home, and will do these fixes and try to run it again.

Thanks again for your help, assistance & guidance.
Best regards,
EL

Mr. DaveHowe, I don't know I did it correct or not, but here is what I did:

Let's first talk about how to send emails, because this is the major task

As you said run the config.bat:

C:\OpenEMM>config.bat
Starting up .. home is C:\OpenEMM .. found codebase .. config:
Enter redirection domain [Desktop:8080]: smtp.1and1.com:587
Enter mailloop domain [loop.Desktop]:      --> here I press enter to take the default
Smart mail relay - optional parameter. Specifiy this, if you want to send
all your outgoing mail via one deticated server (e.g. your ISP mail server.)
You may add login information in the form <username>:<password>@<relay> if
the smart relay requires authentication.
Enter smart relay (or just - to remove existing one) []: cv@pakoug.com:<pwd here>@
smtp.1and1.com
Congratulations, config completed! [return]

Please check it, is this correct, because still after doing this, haven't got any email :-(

Suggest how to trouble shoot too, what I'm missing, how to check the db queue too?

How I can send an email ... using this OpenEMM?
Please help, thanks & very best regards.
EL

one more question:

what is this @rely

<username>:<password>@<relay>

I've put, because the email address is the complete username:

cv@pakoug.com:password@?

DaveHowe, after making those changes, now I can't even start it ... as it was earlier, getting this error (attached)

DaveHowe ... no words to thank you, I'm able to send emails to 4 of my contacts which I inserted manually.

But DaveHowe, it is a little complicated, can you please help me in understanding its usage too ... please.

First I can not upload my list of users ... biggest problem, it shows 262 users but none uploaded :-(

And 2nd how I can send images/pictures embedded within the email.

Please DaveHowe, you assisted me a lot, and as you did, it seems that you are quite perfect & expert with this product, please help to accomplish these 2 activities too.

Thanks again for your help, assistance & guidance.

Best regards,
EL

I found the import worked well - you must however specify a list to include them into, or when they import they aren't part of any mailing list in particular.

for embedding, you add an image as a resource to the mailing (or template), via the "picture component" tab, name it, then reference it within the body of the email using a special construction called a agnitas tag - this is explained in section 6.4.4 of the manual.

assuming you upload a picture called "MyLogo.gif" you can add a tag "[agnIMAGE name="MyLogo.gif"]" to the html form of the email, and it will be picked up. the name must be *exactly* as shown on the picture component page; the name of the file is case sensitive.

and I am far from expert on this software - I had never seen it before you posted your question, and will probably never see it again afterwards; I use something called phplist for this purpose, not openemm.

Is there any specific format for the list or can import any *.csv file, because have tried with different options:

1. just email addresses - heading as Email
2. 1st col: first name , 2nd col: last name, 3rd col: emails - Headings

but these 2 options doesn't work yet, I must be doing some wrong ...

Please assist, thanks.

example file: test.csv:

first,last,email,sex
"joe","bloggs","joe@bloggs.com",0
"jane","bloggs","jane@bloggs.com",1

walkthough (defaults not shown):

stage 1:
file: test.csv
separator: , (comma)
text recognition: " (quote)

stage 3:
first - firstname
last - lastname
email - email
sex - gender

stage 6:
<select mailing lists to add to>

the gender column can be omitted - in which case it defaults to "unknown"
values are 0 (male/mr) 1 (female/mrs) 2 (unknown)