Newsgroups: comp.protocols.appletalk
Path: utzoo!utgpu!cunews!bnrgate!bwdls61!bnr.ca!bschmidt
From: bschmidt@bnr.ca (Ben Schmidt (BNR))
Subject: Re: MacTCP: setting default DNS domain thru Host file?
Message-ID: <1991Mar8.153004.18131@bwdls61.bnr.ca>
Sender: usenet@bwdls61.bnr.ca (Use Net)
Organization: Bell-Northern Research
References: <1991Mar6.161545.18386@bwdls61.bnr.ca>
Date: Fri, 8 Mar 1991 15:30:04 GMT

In article <1991Mar6.161545.18386@bwdls61.bnr.ca> bschmidt@bnr.ca (Ben 
Schmidt (BNR)) writes:
> How do you tell MacTCP, **from the Hosts file***, what domain is to be
> considered the *default* domain.

I received a suggestion to try the $ORIGIN control entry, as defined
in RFC 1035, Domain Implementation and Specification.

Unfortunately the $ORIGIN command only defines the relative origin
*in the Hosts file" for MacTCP.  In effect, it's a typing aid which
allows you to avoid typing fully qualified host names in any "A"
records which follow. It does *not* define a default domain for the
MacTCP DNS resolver.
 
What I want is for the resolver stub in MacTCP to automatically
append a default domain to host names (not fully qualified).   This
is exactly what it does now when you use the radio button marked
"Default" from the Control Panel.

Problem is we've used Apple's AdminTCP program to lock our users out
of the MacTCP control panel settings, thus solving inadvertent
duplicate IP addresses and other IP misconfigurations on our
internet.
 
On a UNIX system, there's a file called "etc/resolv.conf" which has
a line such as "domain ott.bnr.ca" which specifies the default domain
to append to unqualified host names.  I need something like this for
MacTCP's Host file.

Then everything is a piece of cake.  User's drop in a simple Host
file, which they pull off AppleShare, into their System Folder for
their site.  It's pre-configured with their buidling's primary and
secondary DNS servers, as well as their default domain, etc.  No need
even to re-boot!  No need to touch the control panel interface to
MacTCP (which we've locked them out of anyway using AdminTCP).
Updates to DNS server locations, etc, are equally easy to handle.
 
Without this I'm faced with either:
 
 - giving out MacTCP unconfigured and having 1000's of Mac users
   create a mess of duplicate IP addresses, inoperative configurations,
   etc., but at least they can enter a DNS server and a default domain
   through the MacTCP control panel interface.
 
   or
 
- individually configuring 2500 MacTCP's through the control panel,
  and then locking them again with AdminTCP.
 
  And then repeating for any changes in DNS servers.  (With 29
  buildings in this city alone, and 5 other sites spread over 2
  continents, this happens more often than I'd like.  :-)

Anyone have any contacts at Apple?  Or where do you mail a MacTCP
feature request?  :-)
 
Ben Schmidt     Bell-Northern Research, Ltd.   Ph: (613) 763-3906
Information     P.O. Box 3511, Station C       FAX:(613) 763-3283
Technology      Ottawa Canada K1Y 4H7          bschmidt@bnr.ca 
