nslookup does not return the information of the hosts file

[Lora Ganeva]

I have HP-UX server running 11.0 and my DNS works correctly, but when I make an "nslookup" for a host not defined in DNS but only in /etc/hosts the messages is:
TRYING DNS
looking up FILES
No address information is available for ....

It seems that the /etc/hosts is correct.

Any help would be appreciated

[Praveen Bezawada]

Hi
This could be a permission problem with /etc/hosts. On our machine it's 555 and ownership is bin:bin.
And I hope that the syntax in hosts file is correct.

...BPK...

[Alex Glennie]

check permissions & ownership on /etc/hosts ?

post copy of etc/hosts & /etc/nsswitch.conf ... should read ->

hosts: dns [ NOTFOUND = continue ] files

would be useful.

[melvyn burnard]

Have you configured /etc/nsswitch.conf to do this?
example of my nsswitch.conf file is:

# See the Adminstering Internet Services Manual and the switch(4) man
# page for more information on the name service switch.
#

hosts: dns [NOTFOUND=continue] files
services: files
protocols: files
networks: files
rpc: files
netgroup: files
automount: files

[Lora Ganeva]

My /etc/nsswitch.conf is:
hosts: dns [NOTFOUND=continue UNAVAILABLE=continue TRYAGAIN=continue] files[NOTFOUND=return UNAVAILABLE=continue TRYAGAIN=return]

[Alex Glennie]

try Melvins copy ?

[Lora Ganeva]

Thank You very much. I've tried all of this but it didn't help.

[Alex Glennie]

Can I see

ll /etc/hosts ?

copy of /etc/hosts ?

This should work :( if above are correct and you are using Melvins copy of nsswitch.conf.

[Sachin Patel]

Hi Lora,
What Alex says should work. I have create same setup in my system.

In my /etc/hosts file I have add one dummy system name. I run nslookup and it didn't work. I changed the nsswitch.conf file
hosts dns [NOTFOUND=continue] files
and it works. Remove the entry after "files" on nsswitch.conf.

Sachin

[Joseph C. Denman]

Hi Lora,

I have had this problem before. If you set up your nsswitch.conf file as Melv stated. This it should work if permissions are correct. Not only the permissions of hosts, but also nsswitch.conf. Try this.

1. Check /etc/hosts and /etc/nsswitch.conf for correctness.

2. chmod 444 /etc/hosts /etc/nsswitch.conf

That should do it.

...jcd...

[Mark van Hassel · Accepted solution]

Hi Lora,

I encountered the same problem on HP-UZ 11.00 a few years back. I believe its a bug in nslookup since other commands like ping and telnet do work properly. I did sent it to HP but still have not received an answer, so I don't know if a patch is available. The solution is to change the order in /etc/nsswitch.conf around to resolve local files first:
hosts: files [NOTFOUND=continue UNAVAIL=continue TRYAGAIN=continue] dns

[Alex Glennie]

try installing PHNE_23274 Bind patch if Mark is correct, reading the patch documentation he could be.

[Mark van Hassel]

Alex is correct, the patch solves the problem.

[Lora Ganeva]

Hi,
Thank You very much for Your help. Only changing the order of DNS and Files in /etc/nsswitch.conf worked. I haven't installed the patch , but I'm going to di it tomorrow.
Thanks a lot