Re: DNS woes

[Jonathan Q <jq@example.com>]

Jean-Christian Imbeault (jean_christian@example.com) wrote:

> The order now is: file nis nisplus dns
> 
> I assume file means /etc/hosts ... I did take out nis and nisplus just in 
> case and rebooted. No change.

If you're not going to run NIS, you should remove nis and nisplus
altogether.  Moreover, in this configuration, lookups will
attempt to check NIS first, but if you're not running it, this
just makes lookups take longer.  Also, you wouldn't normally run
both NIS and DNS, since NIS is Sun's alternative to DNS.

If you're going to keep nis and nisplus in there but aren't running
it, it would be best placed after dns, so that NIS won't be
checked for unless /etc/hosts and DNS lookups both fail.  That way,
you only see a slower response in the even of failure.  In
the event of success,  NIS will never be looked for.


> PS Thanks for the patience! Problemed solved ... don't know why but the 
> server installation on RH 7.1 disabled by default all (?) xinetd services.

I'm actually impressed by this.  I wish they did that on both
workstation and custom installs as well.  Having all services disabled
by default is the proper way to go, from a security perspective.
No service that is not explicitly enabled by the installing admin
should be enabled.

To that end, what the installer *should* do in any install type
is to require the admin to explicitlky choose which services to 
enable, and have information for novice admins on why you might
or might not want to enable that service.

With that said, Red Hat's 7.1 installer does some very positive things
compared to previous own-me-now Red Hat default installs.  Disabling
all services by default in the server install is a very good thing,
as is the option to enable firewalling during the install.  I don't
understand, however, why they would choose to not disable all 
services by default in other install types.  A worktation, after 
all, is nearly as likely to be connected to the Internet as a 
server, and is just as vulnerable to attack.

Jonathan