nslookup bugs!!!

[Jim Reid]

>>>>> "Gerald" == Gerald Waugh <gerald at waugh.com> writes:

    >> nslookup wants a reverse for that IP. You don't have it.  I
    >> still see no reason why this 'demand' of nslookup s required,
    >> but it is..

    Gerald> Very useful though to test your reverse!  All IP's should
    Gerald> have a working reverse.

It is true that every IP address should have a working entry in
in-addr.arpa so that reverse DNS lookups work. And it's also true that
reverse lookups should be tested. However enforcing that policy with a
critical prerequisite for a DNS lookup tool is spectacularly stupid
and wholly inappropriate. What if the thing the lookup tool is being
used to debug/test is reverse lookup for the name server it queries?
If that server's IP address doesn't have a correct PTR record,
nslookup fails which makes testing or checking with that "tool" almost
impossible. Sure, reverse lookups should be tested. However making
this a mandatory requirement in a DNS lookup tool is extremely
counter-productive. This is just one of the reasons why nslookup is
universally loathed by experienced DNS adminsitrators.