[freebsd-stable@freebsd.org] Hosts/dns contention in FBSD 5.4

[Robert Zagarello]

When the DNS can't be reached you need to have the
server's host name in your local-LAN accessing
client's hosts file.  Either way, the client hosts
file will be checked first before DNS access (this is
true for Windows OSs at least), so because of this you
can use any name in your local client, i.e., a NetBIOS
name for example (non-dotted up to 15-character,
etc.).

BZAG
================


--- Malcolm Kay <malcolm.kay at internode.on.net> wrote:

> I have sytems both at home and at work running
> FreeBSD 5.4 
> release with a more or less standard installation. 
> 
> Both systems are connected to internet routers via a
> nics;
> and under normal circumstances all works fine -- or
> at least 
> seems to be working fine. In both cases there are
> other 
> computers connected via LAN.
> 
> But if the internet connection breaks -- e.g. the
> routers crash
> or the ISP connection fails for some reason then
> trying to ssh 
> into the machine from another local machine is a
> problem -- 
> either timing out our taking a very very long time.
> 
> With the internet connection down I notice a similar
> problem when
> booting in the sendmail script.
> 
> Now it is my understanding that resolution of host
> names should 
> determine from /etc/host.conf and/or
> /etc/nsswitch.conf whether 
> to first try /etc/host or the dns server addressed
> by 
> /etc/resolv.conf
> 
> I believe these should give preference to /etc/hosts
> but 
> never-the-less things get stuck when the dns server
> can't be 
> reached.
> 
> ************/etc/host.conf****************
> # Auto-generated from nsswitch.conf, do not edit
> hosts
> bind
> 
> ************/etc/nsswitch.conf************
> group: compat
> group_compat: nis
> hosts: files dns
> networks: files
> passwd: compat
> passwd_compat: nis
> shells: files
> 
> Am I missing something? (Probably)
> Is this behaviour normal?
> Can the lockups be avoided?
> 
> Any help, ideas or clarification would be
> appreciated.
> 
> Malcolm Kay
> 
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