can telnet to ipaddr but not to name in /etc/hosts

[David DiBiase]

its been a while since I installed a new machine.
I went to run swinstall and it couldnt find the target machine. I tested telnet from that machine. can telnet to an IPaddr but not a host in the /etc/hosts file. Can anyone tell me what I forgot or more-likely fat-fingered

[Luk Vandenbussche · Accepted solution]

Do you use a DNS

Can send the contents of

/etc/resolv.conf
/etc/nsswitch.conf

[Torsten.]

Hi David,

Check the nslookup tool output

nslookup

It is telling you about where to get the information (e.g. using hosts file or DNS) and the results, if there were any.

[HGN]

Hi

Can you do a nslookup on the remote host where you are able to connect, if not then you need to check the resolv.conf and nsswitch.conf file. In nsswitch.conf you should have files and dns (if you are using dns).

Rgds

HGN

[Doug O'Leary]

Hey,

If you don't have a nsswitch.conf but do have a resolv.conf, hp will default to using DNS for name resolution.

If that's the case, do the following:

cp /etc/nsswitch.files /etc/nsswitch.conf
perl -pi -e '/^hosts:\s+.*/hosts: files [ notfound=continue tryagain=continue ] dns

HTH;

Doug

[TwoProc]

It's a name issue. The name/ip address in the host file is probably not agreeing with where you're going.

ping the machine by hostname and see if it agrees with the ip address in the hosts file.
Even if the ping fails, it will usually tell you the address of what it is you're trying to hit.

[David DiBiase]

contents of both files. nameservers are verified on another HP.

[triumph{root}:/]>cat /etc/resolv.conf
domain danahertm.com
nameserver 129.196.218.22
nameserver 129.196.128.126
[triumph{root}:/]>cat /etc/nsswitch.conf
aliases: files
automount: files
group: files
hosts: files
netgroup: files
networks: files
passwd: files
protocols: files
publickey: files[NOTFOUND=return UNAVAIL=continue]
rpc: files
services: files
ipnodes: files[NOTFOUND=return UNAVAIL=return TRYAGAIN=return] files
[triumph{root}:/]>

[Doug O'Leary]

Oops; didn't finish the perl command: Try:

perl -pi -e 's/^hosts:.*/hosts: files [ notfound=continue tryagain=continue ] dn
s/g' nsswitch.conf

sorry 'bout that.

Doug

[Torsten.]

Hi David,

your nameservers are configured, but not used.
nsswitch.conf should look like this:

...
hosts: dns [NOTFOUND=continue] files
...

(first ask DNS server, than looks up the hosts file - configure as you like)

[TwoProc]

Wow, your resolv.conf says that you're resolving with your own host file. So - is the hostname in the /etc/hosts file twice?

[Bharat Katkar]

Hi David,

1. Your nsswitch.conf should atleast look like this:

triumph{root}:/]>cat /etc/nsswitch.conf
aliases: files
automount: files
group: files
hosts: files dns
netgroup: files
networks: files
passwd: files
protocols: files
publickey: files[NOTFOUND=return UNAVAIL=continue]
rpc: files
services: files
ipnodes: files[NOTFOUND=return UNAVAIL=return TRYAGAIN=return] files
[triumph{root}:/]>

2. Check your hostname with hostname command.
# hostname
Does return the same name that you specified in /etc/hosts
If not you may have to set hostname first. You can use "set_parms hostname" command for the same but this will reboot the server.

3. Verify your /etc/resolv.conf file and see that you only have domain name and nameservers information in that.

Hope that helps.
Regards,

[David DiBiase]

ran cat -vet on nsswitch.conf found garbage.
manually rebuilt per this thread (many thanks)
Now I can telnet by name. Now onto swinstall !!

Again - Many thanks

[David DiBiase]

closing thread