System Administration Guide: Naming and Directory Services (DNS, NIS, and LDAP)

Setting Up the resolv.conf File

A simple example resolv.conf(4) file for a server in the doc.com domain is shown below.


Example 4–1 Sample resolv.conf File for DNS Server


;
; /etc/resolv.conf file for dnsmaster (sirius)
;
domain             doc.com
nameserver         192.168.0.0
nameserver         192.168.0.1

The first line of the /etc/resolv.conf file lists the domain name in the form:


domain domainname

Where domainname is the name registered with the Internet governing bodies (as of this writing, the InterNIC).


Note –

No spaces or tabs are permitted at the end of the domain name. Make sure that you press return immediately after the last character of the domain name.


The second line identifies the server itself in the form:


nameserver 192.168.0.0

Succeeding lines list the IP addresses of one or two slave or cache-only name servers that the resolver should consult to resolve queries. Name server entries have the form:


nameserver IP_address

IP_address is the IP address of a slave or cache-only DNS name server. The resolver queries these name servers in the order they are listed until it obtains the information it needs.