[BUGS] dns, a question

[jonathan michaels]

On Thu, Nov 15, 2007 at 02:03:25PM +1100, Andrew Reilly wrote:
> Hi Jonathan,
> 
> On Thu, Nov 15, 2007 at 12:57:36PM +1100, jonathan michaels wrote:
> > ok, here goes, i have set an alias in my dns A records part of
> 
> By "alias" do you mean a CNAME, or just another A record that
> refers to the same IP address?

here is teh, first (only) A record refering to teh mailserver
machine 

seaholm                 IN      A       123.4.567.8

then further down in my named.conf file i have all of teh
CNAME 'aliases' that i have for this 'A record'

mail                    IN      CNAME   seaholm
mx                      IN      CNAME   seaholm
ntp1                    IN      CNAME   seaholm

i am still struggling to come to terms with all teh words that
have uniquely computer meanings .. slowly i am getting there
(thx, andrew/sue/harry matti sma and peter that spring to mind
and all teh rest of teh gang).
 
> > teh named.conf, now whenever i use dig/host/nslookup et al, to
> > lookup the alias (for mail..com.au) i get the physical machines
> > details that is running this particular facility, so far so
> > good.
> > 
> > now, i assume that the dns is working as it should, yes ? can i
> > use the alias interchangably with the 'real name' for gnome
> > based x11 objects like kmail, epiphany, so on ??
> 
> You can use a DNS name wherever you would otherwise use an IP
> address.  That is, to refer to *machines*.  You still need a
> service name or socket number (see /etc/services) in order to
> make a connection.  Then you get into the TCP/IP mechanics.
> 
> GNOME is not *usually* all that involved with network
> connectivity, except for where the application is a networking
> application.  So: epiphany, being a web browser, has a spot
> where you need to identify the server (the URL bar), and you can
> use DNS-based names and aliases there.  KMail is a mail reader,
> I think, so you might use the DNS name to tell it where your
> SMTP and IMAP servers are, during configuration.  E-mail
> addresses are also somewhat associated with DNS names, but

actually this makes sence to me now, it is part of teh glue, as
regards teh question, i rephrased, at bottom.

> rather more peripherally.

i mentioned epiphany/kmail because its 'setup' process involves
asking for details of teh mail-server "name" i use teh 'A
record' name and it works as i think it should but at times i
have used teh cname/alias named version to have it fail, not
teh setup process rather the actual day to day workings.

now that i can use x11 setup as i think it should be working i
am now moving having the rest of teh 'user interface' work as i
think it should. at this point in time i'm setting for using
teh web browser interface to teh systems mailserver be it
firefox/epiphany or opera each one does things slightly
different enough to throw me completely off teh track so to
speak.

> > maybe i am asking a silly/obvious question, i ask because i
> > really want an answer, which will colour my thinking going
> > forward .. which is why i ask this question.
> 
> There aren't many silly questions.  Certainly yours wasn't.  I'm
thanks, my grandmother drummed into me that teh only stupid
question is teh unasked one .. i'm getting there.

> just not sure that I've understood the question clearly enough
> to answer it.  Perhaps if it seems that I'm answering a
> different question than you intended, you could try re-phrasing?

i think sue got teh bottom end of teh answer and you got teh
top end, i think my middle bit, i was loosing teh plot as
regards teh samness/difference of A records and CNAMES and how
they are interchangable. i know that tehy are not completely
interchangable but enough so as to be usable in most day to day
situations .. like this one, yes ?? that be teh question i
think. 

much kind regards and thanks

jonathan

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