[SOLVED] /etc/hosts file not working

keirvt · 04-28-2013, 01:15 AM

I can get mys hosts file entries to resolve and changes to the hosts file don't show up on nslookup. I'm running Ubuntu
Some search engine blogs are saying that the hosts file isn't checked by DNS lookups but that is exactly what I want it for.

So my nsswitch.conf.conf is

Code:

passwd:         compat
group:          compat
shadow:         compat

#hosts:          files mdns4_minimal [NOTFOUND=return] dns mdns4
hosts:          files dns
networks:       files

protocols:      db files
services:       db files
ethers:         db files
rpc:            db files

If I insert an entry into /etc/hosts; say

Code:

123.456.654.321 KVT

(in this instance the IP is non existant

Code:

nslookup kvt
Server:		203.2.75.132
Address:	203.2.75.132#53

** server can't find kvt: NXDOMAIN

I can ping the host entry kvt but nslookup or dig fails
to find it. This is extremely useful for local addresses but I am suspecting that Ubuntu and others have discontinued this. I really don't want to install my own DNS server.

bathory · 04-28-2013, 03:34 AM

Quote:

Some search engine blogs are saying that the hosts file isn't checked by DNS lookups but that is exactly what I want it for.

This is true.
The dns tools (dig, nslookup, host) are using exclusively the dns server(s) in /etc/resolv.conf in order to resolve hostnames.
Ping like other programs that run over the network (like your browser for example) are using the entries in /etc/nsswitch.conf to find the order for a hostname resolution. (in your case 1st /etc/hosts and then a dns server)

unSpawn · 04-28-2013, 05:48 AM

...additionally, unless you have constraints you haven't talked about:

Quote:

Originally Posted by keirvt

I really don't want to install my own DNS server.

it isn't very difficult if you use Dnsmasq or Pdnsd instead of ISC BINDs caching-nameserver. Pdnsd reads /etc/hosts by default IIRC, creates the appropriate DNS entries for them and you can modify any record on the fly.

keirvt · 04-28-2013, 05:06 PM

I still think the /etc/hosts file should be consulted by the DNS and I have only found this from Networkmanager on Ubuntu. I'm sure there are others.

dnsmasq is a solution and its very easy to implement so thank you for the suggestion. I actually started to install a DNS server when I saw the posts!

I notice there are many other people encountering this very annoying enhancement to the OS.

Thanks for your help.

unSpawn · 04-28-2013, 07:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by keirvt

I still think the /etc/hosts file should be consulted by the DNS (..) I notice there are many other people encountering this very annoying enhancement to the OS.

GNU/Linux is Open Source and Free For All. You're welcome to submit your patches to the Glibc developers.