Linux DNS

[neeko]

I need to configure a Linux DNS Server within a Windows NT 4.0 Network environment. I have the following distro's to work with (RedHat 6.2, 7.0 & 7.1, TurboLinux 6.1 and Mandrake 7.1) I'm more familiar with RedHat.

I would like to get this up and running ASAP. My Linux skills are kinda rusty....

Thanks,

Neeko

 

[ifincham]

Hi,

You just need to install the 'bind' rpm, make sure it starts as a service under sysv init (root command '/sbin/chkconfig --level 345 named on') then do the configuration of the zone file(s) for the domain(s) you are providing name service for.

With recent bind versions (current is 9.2.0), there is a utility called rndc which is used to control the named service and this operates on port 953 in addition to the regular dns on port 53. You have to setup cryptographic keys to get rndc enabled bind working and this can be a bit of a fiddle at times if you're not used to it. Other than that, its just editing zone files and remembering to increment the serial number for each change to make sure changes are propogated.

This can be quite a complex subject although, like most things, once you get it going you'll find its not that difficult to get the thing running. See -->

http://www.redhat.com/docs/manuals/linux/RHL-7.2-Manual/ref-guide/s1-bind-configuration.html

for a fairly good outline. Also the docs at the official bind site -->

http://www.isc.org/products/BIND/

It really makes very little differenec what distro you run Bind on - its all the same bind - but some may have gui tools. Redhat has a simple zone editor although I tend not to use it because it seems to delete the rndc stuff. You can also use the html based admin tool called webmin which runs on all flavors of linux -->

http://www.webmin.com/webmin/

Hope this helps

 

[neeko]

Thanks, I'll give it a try.