[comp.sys.sgi] /etc/hosts and /usr/etc/resolv.conf

rob@mother.bates.edu (Rob Spellman) (05/08/91)

I finally connected a SGI Personal Iris onto our campus network.  I
created /usr/etc/resolv.conf, and pointed it towards our nameserver.
Telnet, ftp, et. all now work fine.  However, the next time I tried to
log in, the window server hung.  If I removed resolv.conf, it worked
again.  I tracked the problem down to the fact that there is an entry
for localhost in /etc/hosts, but not one in the nameserver.  However,
the nameserver does have an entry for 'localhost.' (note the period).
If I put 'localhost' in the nameserver, then users can log in without
any trouble.

Should I keep this entry for 'localhost' in my nameserver?  It seems
to be a kludge.  Is there some way to tell the workstation to first
look in /etc/hosts before trying the nameserver?

Here's some information about my setup retrieved by running uname -a:
gauss gauss 3.2.1 10171414 IP6

Thanks

Rob Spellman
rob@mother.bates.edu
Computing Support Services
Bates College

eddc@opus.lerc.nasa.gov (Dave Carek) (05/09/91)

In article <1991May8.125425.18783@mother.bates.edu> rob@mother.bates.edu (Rob Spellman) writes:
>to be a kludge.  Is there some way to tell the workstation to first
>look in /etc/hosts before trying the nameserver?
>

If possible, upgrade to 3.3

3.3 has the option to specify the search order in the /usr/etc/resolv.conf 
file by adding the following line

hostresorder	local bind


This tells it to check the /etc/hosts file before checking the nameserver.

I don't know if this option is in 3.2


-- 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
| David Carek                   |   phone: 216-433-8396               |
| NASA Lewis Research Center    |                                     |
| Cleveland, Ohio  44135        |   email: eddc@opus.lerc.nasa.gov    |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Engineer -> An innovative imaginative scientist who must design the |
|       improbable using the impossible on a budget that is invisible |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

srp@babar.mmwb.ucsf.edu (Scott R. Presnell) (05/11/91)

rob@mother.bates.edu (Rob Spellman) writes:

>Should I keep this entry for 'localhost' in my nameserver?  It seems
>to be a kludge.

We have a "localhost IN A 127.0.0.1" record in each of our domains.  Seems
like a reasonably klug thing to do.

>Is there some way to tell the workstation to first
>look in /etc/hosts before trying the nameserver?

Yes, at least in 3.3 there is: make an entry in your resolv.conf:
	"hostresorder local bind"
(remove the quotes).  Check the resolver(4) man page on your system for
details.  I can't remember if 3.2 had this keyword or not.

	- Scott
--
Scott Presnell				        +1 (415) 476-9890
Pharm. Chem., S-926				Internet: srp@cgl.ucsf.edu
University of California			UUCP: ...ucbvax!ucsfcgl!srp
San Francisco, CA. 94143-0446			Bitnet: srp@ucsfcgl.bitnet

hajadi@sgi.com (Ivan M. Hajadi) (05/13/91)

In article <1991May8.125425.18783@mother.bates.edu> rob@mother.bates.edu (Rob Spellman) writes:
...
>Should I keep this entry for 'localhost' in my nameserver?  It seems
>to be a kludge.  Is there some way to tell the workstation to first
>look in /etc/hosts before trying the nameserver?
>


yes, put hostresorder local bind in your resolv.conf file.
man 4 resolver for more info.


>
>Thanks
>
>Rob Spellman
>rob@mother.bates.edu
>Computing Support Services
>Bates College


--

-- ivan