[comp.protocols.tcp-ip.domains] How do I list domains under root server?

tony@MTU.EDU (Tony Dal Santo) (11/01/90)

How would I go about listing all the domains under the root server.  The
domains I am refering to are on the same level as EDU, COM, GOV, etc.  I
tried using nslookup, and doing an "ls ." at ns.nasa.gov, but it just gave
me the root servers, not the domains under the root servers.

An example of my problem would be say I am looking for the domain for the
United Kindom, how would I find out it was UK?

                                                            Thanks,
                                                            Tony Dal Santo
                                                            tony@mtu.edu

enag@ifi.uio.no (Erik Naggum) (11/03/90)

In article <9011010531.AA01630@mtu.edu> tony@MTU.EDU (Tony Dal Santo) writes:

   How would I go about listing all the domains under the root server.  The
   domains I am refering to are on the same level as EDU, COM, GOV, etc.  I
   tried using nslookup, and doing an "ls ." at ns.nasa.gov, but it just gave
   me the root servers, not the domains under the root servers.

   An example of my problem would be say I am looking for the domain for the
   United Kindom, how would I find out it was UK?

Ah, the United Kingdom.  The national Internet top-level domains are
named after the naming defined in International Standard 3166, two-
letter abbreviations.  This standard declares that the two-letter
abbreviation for "United Kingdom" is "GB".  This is the right answer,
according to the rules.

Now, we need some history and folklore to know when to break the
rules.  There is only one two-letter national top-level domain which
breaks the rules.  The rule to break the rule is: "Is it British?"  If
yes, you break the rules, and make your own rules, subtly different
from all other rules.

The British Special Rule for Naming of Top-Level Domains in the
Internet is that "We think UK sounds better."


Seriously, though, the way to ask for the sub-domains of root is to
give NIC's WHOIS the command

	SUB EXP DOM ROOT

This will list the sub-domains of ROOT-DOM.  The EXP is for Expand.
The list includes the administrative contact points for the domains
listed, not the countries.  I know I got a list some time ago with the
names of the countries and the continent indicated as well.  Ask me if
you would like to get it, and I'll update it to concur with the
present root-level domains.

--
[Erik Naggum]
--