How to control own domain/zonefile ?

[Barry Margolin]

In article <egtq7o$pm9$1 at sf1.isc.org>,
 Clenna Lumina <savagebeaste at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Ok, say I register foo.com, and I have my own linux box with
> bind
> installed, and I want to use that to control my own domain,
> instead of
> using zoneedit.com or whatever DNS applet a registrar might
> provide. In
> other words, I can setup a zonefile easily enough, but that
> only works
> so long as one manually points nslookup or dig to said linux
> box.
> 
> How do I make it world accessible, so to speak? I know I can
> change the
> name servers for the domain via the registrar control panel?
> Is this all
> there is to it? I get the feeling there is more. And what if
> the
> registrar doesn't have such an applet?

Yes, that's all there is to it.  If the registrar doesn't have an applet 
on their web page, then I guess you have to do it by calling or emailing 
them.  Part of the job of a registrar is registering customer name 
servers, so there has to be some way to do it.  A registrar is *not* a 
DNS hosting service, although many companies offer both services.

> 
> P.S.
> I doubt this is possible, but is there any way to manually
> "register" a
> domain myself withotu going through one of those registrars?

No, unless you become a registrar yourself.

> I mean,
> most cost only $10 USD, which makes me think that it doesn't
> really cost
> them anything, thus making profit on all those $10
> registrations.
> Basically, eliminate the middle man. I mean, how EXACTLY does
> a
> registrar register the domain you pick via their website?

They operate servers that maintain all the registration information.  
They feed the DNS information to the registries, who update the 
top-level name servers.  They make the information available for 
querying via WHOIS.  They provide customer support and mediate disputes 
between domain registrants.

> 
> I also want to be able to control reverse dns (PTR records)
> which
> normally one cannot when using a registrars.

You do that through the organization that provided your IP addresses, 
usually your ISP.

-- 
Barry Margolin, barmar at alum.mit.edu
Arlington, MA
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