On Sun, 21 Jan 2001, Karl J. Runge wrote:
> Not bogus IMHO. Don't forget the client side, i.e. the resolver libraries
> the client apps (i.e. *all* network apps, from nc & telnet to netscape)
> use do name resolution, etc.
Yah, but on most systems, the resolver is a separate from ISC BIND (even if
it is based on ISC's code). Most people want name lookups to work, even if
they don't have BIND installed.
> Since these library services have NOTHING to do with running named on the
> machine in question (e.g. a client box), you gotta call it something....
If you want to be pedantic about it, the part of the system implementing DNS
lookups is properly called the "resolver". Of course, most programs don't
call the resolver directly (and properly so). They use gethostbyname(), which
does more than just DNS lookups -- it also checks /etc/hosts, NIS, and/or
other resources, depending on the contents of your /etc/nsswitch.conf file.
gethostbyname() will use the resolver, but technically isn't part of it. Are
we confused yet? :-)
I keep meaning to look for/write a utility to provide a command-line
front-end to the gethostbyname(). (Yes, I know about dig(1), nslookup(8), and
host(1) -- those all make wonderful DNS clients, but they deliberately bypass
gethostbyname(), so you can test your DNS servers directly. But there are
times where I want to test what the *client* thinks is going on.)
--
Ben Scott <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Net Technologies, Inc. <http://www.ntisys.com>
Voice: (800)905-3049 x18 Fax: (978)499-7839
**********************************************************
To unsubscribe from this list, send mail to
[EMAIL PROTECTED] with the following text in the
*body* (*not* the subject line) of the letter:
unsubscribe gnhlug
**********************************************************
