I'm getting error messages on my named file on startup and shutdown. This just started happening and I can't figure out why. Can anybody tell me what's going on here?

Here are the lines from /var/log/messages.

On shutdown:
Jan 22 01:26:44 user named: named shutdown failed

On startup:
Jan 22 16:15:48 user named[1371]: starting BIND 9.2.0rc3 -u named
Jan 22 16:15:48 user named[1371]: using 1 CPU
Jan 22 16:15:48 user named: named startup succeeded
Jan 22 16:15:48 user named[1373]: loading configuration from '/etc/named.conf'
Jan 22 16:15:48 user named[1373]: no IPv6 interfaces found
Jan 22 16:15:48 user named[1373]: listening on IPv4 interface lo, 127.0.0.1#53
Jan 22 16:15:48 user named[1373]: listening on IPv4 interface eth0, 192.168.0.1#53
Jan 22 16:15:48 user named[1373]: could not configure root hints from 'named.ca': file not found
Jan 22 16:15:48 user named[1373]: loading configuration: file not found
Jan 22 16:15:48 user named[1373]: exiting (due to fatal error)

Let's see, the only thing I changed before this started happening was that I went into Webmin and changed the setting under Authentication so that the password would time out if the correct password wasn't entered after 3 times. This doesn't have anything to do with the named file, does it?

I didn't delete the named.ca file, so I can't figure out why all of a sudden this file can't be found. What exactly does named do and what is named.ca?

Named (pronounce "name-dee")* is a Domain Name Server.
The named.ca file is a cache (for root zone servers).
Try the NAG for more info.

Ok, thanks. I have the NAG in my collection of HOWTOs, so I'll take a look. Any ideas why named broke all of a sudden?

Take a look at your /etc/named.conf file.

There should be a line saying

directory "/*****/*****"

This line tells bind where to file your zone files.

Look in that directory and make sure that the named.ca file exists.

On my distro, the named.ca file is in the /var/named folder.

If it exists, check the permissions on it.

If it doesn't you will need to get one.