Control Panels

How to Disable Mailman Mailing Lists on a cPanel Server (the Supported Way)

Disable Mailman mailing lists on your cPanel server by modifying its execute permissions.

Short answer: Turn Mailman off in WHM, not by changing file permissions. Open Server Configuration > Tweak Settings, search for Mailman, set it to Off and save. To hide mailing lists from customers without turning them off for everyone, remove the Mailing Lists feature in Packages > Feature Manager. Check for lists that are still in use before you switch it off.

Why disable Mailman

  • Unused software: most hosting customers never create a mailing list, so it is one less service to maintain.
  • Abuse risk: a hacked account can use a mailing list to send large amounts of spam from your server.
  • Age: the Mailman 2 branch bundled with cPanel is old. Many businesses now use a dedicated newsletter service, which handles unsubscribes and delivery better.

Step 1: check whether any lists exist

Before turning Mailman off, find out who uses it. As root:

/usr/local/cpanel/3rdparty/mailman/bin/list_lists

# Lists are stored per domain, for example announcements_example.com
ls /usr/local/cpanel/3rdparty/mailman/lists/

If customers use lists, tell them in advance and give them time to export their subscribers. In cPanel, list owners can manage their lists under Email > Mailing Lists.

To keep a copy of each list’s subscribers before you switch Mailman off, export them to a text file, one address per line. A list owner can import that file into a newsletter service later:

/usr/local/cpanel/3rdparty/mailman/bin/list_members LISTNAME > /root/LISTNAME-subscribers.txt

Step 2: turn Mailman off in WHM

  1. Log in to WHM as root.
  2. Open Server Configuration > Tweak Settings.
  3. Use the search box to find Mailman on the Mail tab.
  4. Set it to Off and click Save.

cPanel then stops offering mailing lists and stops processing list mail. Because the change is stored in cPanel’s own configuration, updates keep it.

Step 3: hide the feature from customers (optional)

If you prefer to keep Mailman for some customers only, leave it on and control access with feature lists:

  1. Open Packages > Feature Manager.
  2. Edit the feature list used by your hosting packages.
  3. Untick Mailing Lists and save.
  4. Create a separate feature list with Mailing Lists enabled for customers who need it.

Why not use chmod or remove the package?

Older guides suggest removing the execute permission from Mailman’s wrapper, or uninstalling it with yum. Neither is a good idea on cPanel:

  • cPanel updates restore file permissions, so a chmod change quietly undoes itself.
  • Mailman is a cPanel-managed component. Removing its files or package can break updates and cPanel’s mail configuration.
  • The Tweak Settings option is supported, survives updates and can be reversed in one click.

Turn Mailman back on

Set Mailman back to On in Tweak Settings and save. Existing lists are kept while Mailman is off, so they work again when you turn it back on, unless you deleted them.

Alternatives for newsletters

  • A dedicated newsletter service with sign-up forms, unsubscribe handling and delivery reports.
  • A newsletter plugin for WordPress that sends through an SMTP relay, not directly from the server.
  • For discussion lists, a hosted group service or forum software.

Sending bulk mail from a hosting server affects every account’s delivery. See our cPanel anti-spam settings guide for sending limits.

Troubleshooting

Problem Likely cause Fix
Mailing Lists still appears in cPanel The feature is still in the feature list Remove it in Feature Manager.
List mail still goes out after disabling Messages were already queued Check the queue with exim -bp and remove list messages if needed.
A customer needs their list back Mailman is off for the whole server Turn it on, and limit access with feature lists instead.

Need help with this?

Want your mail server set up the right way? Our server management team handles cPanel mail settings for you.

See server management plansContact @CustomerPanel

Frequently asked questions

How do I disable Mailman in cPanel?

In WHM, set Mailman to Off in Server Configuration > Tweak Settings.

Will disabling Mailman delete existing lists?

No. Lists stay on the server and work again if you turn Mailman back on.

Can I hide mailing lists from some accounts only?

Yes. Remove the Mailing Lists feature from the feature list used by those accounts’ package.

Is it safe to chmod the Mailman wrapper?

It is not recommended. cPanel updates can undo it, and the Tweak Settings option is the supported method.

How do I see which domains use mailing lists?

Run list_lists from Mailman’s bin folder as root. List names end with the domain they belong to, for example news_example.com.

What should customers use instead of Mailman?

A dedicated newsletter service or a CMS newsletter plugin that sends through an authenticated relay.


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