[cobalt-users] Hosts, Domains, and aliases...

[Jeff Lasman <jblists@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

When I worked on a client system recently I noticed he had been filling
in the host, domain, web alias and domain alias fields differently
almost each time he set up a domain.  I realized that there may be a lot
of RaQ owners who don't really understand well exactly what's being set
up when these fields are filled in... so I though I'd explain it here.

First take a look at this example (fixed-width font preferred):

host    domain	            web alias           email alias
======================================================================
www     domain.net         domain.net          domain.net

The hostname on a RaQ virtual site is often (but not always) www, since
the site is a "virtual one" for the purpose of web (www) serving.

The domain is the domain name as you bought it but it from the
registrar.  In our example above the domain name domain.net.  Note that
RaQs can handle multiple sites for multiple hostnames at the same
domain.

The system will always serve up websites addressed to www.domain.net. 
Do you want it to also serve up the same website if the user types
domain.net (without the "www." into his/her browser)?  If so, then the
"web alias" should be just domain.net.

The "email alias" controls the way email may be addressed.  By default
the RaQ will deliver mail to username@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, or for example,
jblists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx  If you want it to also be able to receive email
at, for example, jblists@xxxxxxxxxx, the email alias should be
"domain.net".

(All of this presumes of course that there are A records in DNS for all
the possible variations, such as for "www.domain.net", for "domain.net",
and an MX record for domain.net.

Beginning recenlty because of the way the Raq receives email, we've also
begun entering MX records for www.domain.net.

I hope this clears up domains and aliases a bit <smile>.

Jeff
-- 
Jeff Lasman <jblists@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Linux and Cobalt/Sun/RaQ Consulting
nobaloney.net
P. O. Box 52672, Riverside, CA  92517
voice: (909) 778-9980  *  fax: (702) 548-9484