From owner-freebsd-hackers Sun Sep 14 20:43:15 1997 Return-Path: Received: (from root@localhost) by hub.freebsd.org (8.8.7/8.8.7) id UAA24261 for hackers-outgoing; Sun, 14 Sep 1997 20:43:15 -0700 (PDT) Received: from freebie.lemis.com (gregl1.lnk.telstra.net [139.130.136.133]) by hub.freebsd.org (8.8.7/8.8.7) with ESMTP id UAA24254 for ; Sun, 14 Sep 1997 20:43:10 -0700 (PDT) Received: (from grog@localhost) by freebie.lemis.com (8.8.7/8.8.5) id NAA01759; Mon, 15 Sep 1997 13:13:00 +0930 (CST) Message-ID: <19970915131259.59073@lemis.com> Date: Mon, 15 Sep 1997 13:12:59 +0930 From: Greg Lehey To: Nate Williams Cc: freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Why not DNS (was: nfs startup - perhaps it is a problem) References: <199709142148.OAA22603@usr09.primenet.com> <199709150141.CAA26286@awfulhak.demon.co.uk> <19970915114213.54969@lemis.com> <199709150340.VAA21991@rocky.mt.sri.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii X-Mailer: Mutt 0.81e In-Reply-To: <199709150340.VAA21991@rocky.mt.sri.com>; from Nate Williams on Sun, Sep 14, 1997 at 09:40:03PM -0600 Organisation: LEMIS, PO Box 460, Echunga SA 5153, Australia Phone: +61-8-8388-8250 Fax: +61-8-8388-8250 Mobile: +61-41-739-7062 WWW-Home-Page: http://www.lemis.com/~grog Fight-Spam-Now: http://www.cauce.org Sender: owner-freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org X-Loop: FreeBSD.org Precedence: bulk On Sun, Sep 14, 1997 at 09:40:03PM -0600, Nate Williams wrote: > Greg Lehey writes: >> If anybody can give me any reasons for using /etc/hosts, I'm sure I >> can refute them. > > - The box *IS* the primary DNS box for my network, and hence can't > resolve addresses at bootup until after DNS is running, but needs some > resolution in other parts of the system for starting up things until > DNS gets running. Interesting. What? I run a name server without /etc/hosts, and I don't have any problems. I contend that anything which requires /etc/hosts to be present is broken. > - The box is on a private home network made up of two hosts, and these > machines need to talk to each other at times. Setting up a DNS server > is a waste of resources for a private network. Why? What makes you think it's slower than /etc/hosts? > - The machine in question is using a slow and/or part-time network > connection, and while doing 'local' work with sockets and such > (programming, etc...) doesn't need to have the link up, and/or doesn't > need to be using bandwidth usable for other processes. All the more reason to run a name server. > Could I run DNS and solve some of my problems? Of course, but it'd be > like hammering nails with a sledge-hammer. It gets the job done, but > it's way overkill. I think you're overestimating the effort required. Greg