[comp.sys.mac.comm] Problems with MacTCP hosts file: seems not to be used

mak@cs.nott.ac.uk (Martijn Koster) (10/23/90)

Hello all,

I've got a slight problem: I'm using MacTCP, and have it set up
so it can look-up names. I tested this with the "TCP Example" stack
that came on one of the developer disks. It works fine, but then I
tried adding hostnames in the Hosts file (in the System Folder, and
yes, it's a text only file). This didn't work. I tried the following:

   aa->                   A->   128.243.20.4
   bb.->                  A->   128.243.20.4
   cc.cs.nott.ac.uk->     A->   128.243.20.4
   dd.cs.nott.ac.uk.->    A->   128.243.20.4
   ee.nott.ac.uk->        A->   128.243.20.4
   ff.nott.ac.uk.->       A->   128.243.20.4

The '->' signifies a tab, and lines are nded with a return.
128.243.20.4 does exist, is in fact the machine I'm using now. 
And then I tried all the hostnames, but "TCP Example" returned

   $$$ Couldn't get address $$$

Can somebody explain what I'm doing wrong? I'd love to RTFM, but
somebody has managed to lose it or something.

Also, has someone written a program to convert a /etc/hosts file to a
MacTCP Hosts file?

And lastly, doesn't NCSA Telnet 2.3 use MacTCP name resolver? I ended
up writing a program to convert /etc/hosts to a config.tel file (that
awk script that came with telnet choked on comments).

Thanks very much in advance,

Martijn Koster

Details:
MacPlus, 2.5 Meg RAM, 20 Meg Rodime SCSI HD, System 6.0.5
(MacPlus, 4 Meg RAM, 40 Meg Apple SC HD, System 6.0.3 didn't work either)
The Plus sits on LocalTalk, with a FastPath connected to the ethernet.
MacTCP version 1.0.1, gets its IP Number of a server, DNS information
has one entry "cs.nott.ac.uk".

resnick@cogsci.uiuc.edu (Pete Resnick) (10/24/90)

mak@cs.nott.ac.uk (Martijn Koster) writes:
>   aa->                   A->   128.243.20.4
>   bb.->                  A->   128.243.20.4

I don't think either one of these is valid domain name syntax.

>   dd.cs.nott.ac.uk.->    A->   128.243.20.4
>   ff.nott.ac.uk.->       A->   128.243.20.4

That "." at the end might be screwing you up.

I am also not sure how smart the DNR is. If something in the file is
screwy, it might not be too happy. But the other example you give should
work. I have tabs in my file. You might try without to test it.

>And lastly, doesn't NCSA Telnet 2.3 use MacTCP name resolver? I ended
>up writing a program to convert /etc/hosts to a config.tel file (that
>awk script that came with telnet choked on comments).

Nope. NCSA uses their own resolver. I don't think that will ever change.
(*Sigh*)

pr
--
Pete Resnick             (...so what is a mojo, and why would one be rising?)
Graduate assistant - Philosophy Department, Gregory Hall, UIUC
System manager - Cognitive Science Group, Beckman Institute, UIUC
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