Re: [cobalt-users] Wildcard DNS

[Jeff Lasman <jblists@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

At 12:51 PM 3/5/00 +0100, you wrote:

> Adding a wildcard DNS Entry on the RAQ2 works fine when editing the
> db.domain.com file manually since the Interface will not acept a wildcard
> entry. Problem is the raq2 after a couple of hours seems to through out my
> changes.

I've never had my RaQ2 make any changes to my manually edited DNS zone 
files.  I do two things that may contribute to their safety, so I'll bring 
them to your attention here:

1)  I prefex my dns zone files with "db.", not "pri."; that keeps Cobalt's 
html-based gui interface from even knowing they're there.

2)  I don't ever go to the dns interface on my RaQ2s html-based gui 
interface, that keeps my manual changes in the /etc/named.conf file from 
being overwritten

> Any Suggestions? I do not think wanting a wildcard DNS Entry is anything
> special and should work on an Namserver.

It should, as long as you avoid the common mistake most people make at one 
time or another:

In the following, for example:

   *                IN   MX  mail.domain.com
   domain.com.      IN   A   123.123.123.10
   mail.domain.com. IN   A   123.123.123.12
   joe              IN   A   123.123.123.11

You might expect that mail sent to <user@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> to be sent to 
<mail.domain.com>, but that's NOT how it works.  If there's ANY dns record 
at all in the zone file for a machine or subdomain, the wildcard will NOT 
resolve for that name.

The O'Reilly book "DNS and Bind" only shows examples of wildcards in MX 
records, but they do admit they can be used elsewhere.

Personally, I don't use wildcards.  Too easy to add records later to break 'em.

Jeff

--
Jeff Lasman <jblists@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>