Resolv local network names [Newbie question]

[Curt Sampson]

On Wed, 9 May 2007, Rafael Dewes wrote:

> ...but now I need to resolve the LAN names, for example: I have the
> machine 192.168.0.18 with the name flamingo.mydomain.com.br. Can I
> setup it without configure a master or slave server?

You can have it resolve for programs on your machine by putting an entry
in /etc/hosts. "man hosts" for more details.

On Wed, 9 May 2007, Kevin Darcy wrote:

> Well _somebody_ has to be master for the data...

First, best to read this:

     http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dns#How_the_DNS_works_in_theory

and make sure you understand the following terms: domain name, zone,
authoratative server. Now keep in mind, from the point of view of BIND
and other popular name server daemons,

     A MASTER server is one that contains its own local copy of zone data;

     A SLAVE server loads its copy of the zone data from another server,
     and usually updates it regularly from that (or several) other servers.

A master or slave will always be authoratative, though that doesn't
necessarially mean that they're being delegated to via a path leading
down from the root server. It's only the servers that are that will be
"seen" by most systems on the Internet.

> it's theoretically
> possible that you could get your ISP or someone you know on the Internet
> to serve as master, and then just forward to them, but since 192.168/16
> is a private range, it's likely that other folks are already using it
> for their own purposes, or they want to reserve the option of doing so.

It doesn't matter at all that it's a private range; that has no
connection with how records (at least, non-inaddr.arpa or "reverse"
records) resolve.

For example:

     $ host lyric.cjs.cynic.net
     lyric.cjs.cynic.net has address 192.168.187.11

> Besides, do you really want to have to co-ordinate every little internal
> DNS change with an outside entity? Take control of your own destiny.
> It's not that hard to set up a master zone. Just go ahead and do it.

Right. But keep in mind that unless you've got some reasonably reliable
and stable IP addresses on which to run your masters, you'll have to
deal with some other way of making sure that all of your hosts of
interest are using these servers or resolving servers that eventually
query these ones.

cjs
-- 
Curt Sampson			+81 90 7737 2974
<cjs at cynic.net>			http://www.starling-software.com
   The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism
   by those who have not got it.    --George Bernard Shaw