any way to list default behavior of /etc/resolv.conf

[Jay D Koonz]

I have a bunch of servers with no /etc/resolv.conf file. Are there any commands to list the search order (dns, files, nis) for the various items (hosts, passwd, services, etc) ??

[pap]

Hi,
You can open the file /etc/nsswitch.conf file to look at the search order for various files like /etc/services, hosts, group , password, protocols....etc...etc...

-pap

[Jeff Schussele]

Hi Jay,

Search type is in nsswitch.conf and default is files only.
resolv.conf sets domain name serach order & "addition" of domain names for shortname searches, & DNS server search order.

Rgds,
Jeff

[Darrell Allen]

Hi Jay,

You should be looking at /etc/nsswitch.conf. Man nsswitch.conf and check out the compiled-in default entries listed under "Useful Configurations". NIS is first for a number of the databases, including hostname resolution.

Darrell

[MANOJ SRIVASTAVA]

Hi Jay,

The search order is defined in /etc/nsswitch.conf file , but it looks for /etc/rsolv.conf to find the nameserver where the DNS entries reside , so in case you donot have resolve .conf but the nsswitch point to that then there will eb problem to address even the local hostname . I do a simple test to find how the name is being resolved nslookup < local hostaname > and nslookup < other server name > and find out how the name is being resolved, incase there is some issue then may be rename resolv.conf and retry it and correct resolv.conf if need be.

Manoj Srivastava

[James R. Ferguson · Accepted solution]

Hi Jay:

Dynamically, you can do this:

# nslookup
> policy

That is, when 'nslookup' prompts you for a name, enter the token "policy".

Regards!

...JRF...

[Jay D Koonz]

As a bunch of you pointed out, nsswitch.conf is the file that defines the order. And what I meant to say was the servers don't have a nsswitch.conf file. I was hoping there was a way to verify what the behavior taking place was, but I guess the answer is "to check the man page for the defaults".

[Olav Baadsvik]

Hi,

The use of nslookup gives you the correct
info even if you do not have a /etc/nsswitch.conf file

Enter this command:

nslookup -swdebug

It will give you some messages saying
that it can not find /etc/nsswitch.conf
but when you enter the command
policy
it will show you where it checks for
name-resolution

Regards
Olav

[melvyn burnard]

do:

#nslookup
>policy
>exit