[Cialug] Cialug Digest, Vol 101, Issue 11

[Don Ellis]

No further mention of Zach's reply to my query. From his comment, it sounds
like installing an mDNS responder, such as Avahi or something similar could
connect the non-Apple machines to the DNS structure you have already built
(or simplify bringing things into mutual configuration agreement). I will
research this further so that I can connect my non-Apple VMs (and other
systems) to my mostly-Apple network.

--Don Ellis


By default OS X (and I believe iOS, though I haven't checked) publishes a
> hostname and service records via mDNS, and does mDNS lookups on the local
> broadcast domain as part of regular gethostname()-type operations. So
> "YouMachineName" or "YourMachineName.local" will "just work" among Apple
> products.
> If you've only got a handful of machines, and particularly if some of them
> run Apple OSes, mDNS isn't a bad plan. But you do have to add an mDNS
> responder (avahi or the like) to non-Apple systems.
>         Zach



On Sat, Sep 21, 2013 at 7:23 PM, kristau <kristau at gmail.com> wrote:
> Pro Tip: For a small number of *NIX like systems (Mac, CentOS, Ubuntu,
> etc.) it may be easier to set up cron jobs to synchronize your /etc/hosts
> file from an "authoritative" system out to all the "client" systems using
> rsync.
>
> If, however, your goal is to learn DNS inside and out, then pick up the
> O'Reilly DNS and BInd book (
http://shop.oreilly.com/product/9780596100575.do)
> and start digging!
>
>
> On Sat, Sep 21, 2013 at 11:14 PM, L. V. Lammert <lvl at omnitec.net> wrote:
>
>> On Sat, 21 Sep 2013, L. V. Lammert wrote:
>>
>> > On Sat, 21 Sep 2013, Moder John II Lee wrote:
>> >
>> > > Lee, thank you for your explanation.  I think I am beginning to
>> understand.
>> > >
>> > That's great! I deal with it all the time, and have to keep kicking
>> myself
>> > when I figure out a problem for which I should have KNOWN the answer.
>> >
>> > > I don't do a lot of server work, but the systems that I do work on
all
>> > > tend to function this way, so you are saying that they all have a
split
>> > > horizon DNS setup on them?
>> > >
>> > The main points to remember:
>> >
>> >  * The hosts file overrides any DNS lookup, on ALL platforms.
>> [Sorry, sent accidentally before finished.]
>>
>>    * DNS queries will always to go the authoritative host of record;
>>    * Careful inspection of a dig will verify the authoritative servers.
>>    * Veriy configured servers with whois.
>>
>> If you DO need to run a local zone [offnet], either use host entries
>> (works on all platforms), or a split horizon DNS server such as dnsmasq.
>>
>> > Does Microsoft do this natively,
>> >
>> The big difference with MS is that they do their OWN DNS, canned a
>> "Domain", internally to the MS network. It can be a royal PAIN to predict
>> what exactly will happen when you want a real DNS query in a MS network
>> and happen to use a domain name that MS thinks their server owns.
>>
>> > need to "trick" OSX and Linux systems into doing this?  I apologize for
>> > the naive questions, but one of the reasons I am doing this is to
>> > understand it better.
>> >
>> Clues above, ..
>>
>> > > So basically you are saying similar to what Ken did, is that I need
>> > > to find a way to make OSXSLS1 the SOA for the local net, but I may
>> > > need to use something like dnsmasq to trick it to doing so?
>> > >
>> Not quite; I would not recommend any 'tricks' - they can backfire at
>> inopportune moments.
>>
>> The simles solution is to setu phost entries on your two internal
>> machines, no 'real' domain name needed..
>>
>> > > I am still having a bit of a disconnect though--  On both boxes I get
>> the same results--
>> > >
>> > > When I dig @10.0.1.2 A OSXSLS1.moderetnyre.net. I return the record's
>> authority section pointing to OSXSLS1.moderetnyre.net.
>> > >
>> > > When I dig @10.0.1.2 A CentOS1.moderetnyre.net I return the SOA to
>> godaddy.
>> > >
>> > > My confusion is that in the zone file on OSXSLS1 I have machine (A)
>> > > records for both CentOS1, and OSXSLS1.  Both record are formatted
>> > > identically, outside their unique names/IPs.
>> > >
>> When you force a dig to the machine, it works the way you expect; the
>> difference is that when you run a 'normal' (i.e. unforced) DNS query from
>> a machine other than the OSX box, it gets forwarded to the real server.
>>
>> > > The DNS server on OSXSLS1 is set to accept recursive queries from
>> localnets and 10.0.1.0/24.
>> > >
>> 'Accepting' and being authoritative are separate issues, however. My
>> recommendation is to simplify your life and setup hos entries on both
>> machine.
>>
>>         Lee