How can I make my server work with all domains pointed at it?

tibberous · 01-25-2009, 10:24 AM

I want to have my server setup so that whenever a domain is pointed at it, it shows my website.

My server right now is running WHM / cpanel. It uses ns1.trenttompkins.com and ns2.trenttompkins.com.

In my httpd.conf, is this record:

# Default vhost for unbound IPs
<VirtualHost *>
ServerName server.trenttompkins.com
DocumentRoot /usr/local/apache/htdocs
ServerAdmin root@server.trenttompkins.com
UserDir disable
</VirtualHost>

So I would think I'd just be able to point a domain and have it work. However, when I point a random domain to the site, it doesn't work (Address not found error). I think this is because the nameserver needs to resolve miscellaneous domains to my main IP and it isn't.

Does anyone know how I can set this up?

bathory · 01-25-2009, 12:02 PM

If I can understand well what you want to do, is to resolve any hostname to your ip address (and not any domain). This can be done using a wildcard hostname in your domain zone file:

Code:

*   IN   A   xx.xx.xx.xx

where xx.xx.xx.xx is your server's ip.
Then you must use the ServerAlias directive in apache vhost config:

Code:

<VirtualHost *>
ServerName server.trenttompkins.com
ServerAlias *.trenttompkins.com
DocumentRoot /usr/local/apache/htdocs
ServerAdmin root@server.trenttompkins.com
UserDir disable
</VirtualHost>

tibberous · 01-25-2009, 12:26 PM

Awesome! any idea where my domain file wold be?

bathory · 01-25-2009, 12:44 PM

Quote:

any idea where my domain file wold be?

I don't know where cpanel saves dns configuration files because I have never used it, but you can add the "*" A record the same way you added the "server.trenttompkins.com".

tibberous · 01-25-2009, 03:17 PM

Is this what I'm looking for?

Code:

trenttompkins.com.      86400   IN      NS      ns2.trenttompkins.com.
trenttompkins.com.      86400   IN      NS      ns1.trenttompkins.com.


trenttompkins.com.      14400   IN      A       72.29.86.135

localhost.trenttompkins.com.    14400   IN      A       127.0.0.1

trenttompkins.com.      14400   IN      MX      0       trenttompkins.com.

mail    14400   IN      CNAME   trenttompkins.com.
www     14400   IN      CNAME   trenttompkins.com.
ftp     14400   IN      A       72.29.86.135
ns1.trenttompkins.com.  14400   IN      A       72.29.86.135
ns2.trenttompkins.com.  14400   IN      A       72.29.86.136

bathory · 01-25-2009, 05:19 PM

Yes, that's the zone file for your domain. Don't forget to increase the serial once you add or edit a record.

Cheers

tibberous · 01-25-2009, 08:16 PM

Hmm...

I added

* IN A 72.29.86.138

But I don't think it did anything...

Am I missing something? How do I increase the serial?

Also, if it matters, it looks like I have a bunch of zones, each with a db file.

Code:

        zone "server.trenttompkins.com" {
                type master;
                file "/var/named/server.trenttompkins.com.db";
        };

        zone "trenttompkins.com" {
                type master;
                file "/var/named/trenttompkins.com.db";
        };

        zone "osflv.com" {
                type master;
                file "/var/named/osflv.com.db";
        };

        zone "flashgamereview.com" {
                type master;
                file "/var/named/flashgamereview.com.db";
        };

All in /etc/named.conf

Should I create a new zone somehow?

tibberous · 01-25-2009, 08:57 PM

=/

I tried:

*. 14400 IN A 72.29.86.135

and

* 14400 IN A 72.29.86.135

Still nothing.

This seems like something you'd generally want by default, I can't believe how hard it is to do.

bathory · 01-26-2009, 12:28 AM

Quote:

zone "server.trenttompkins.com" {
type master;
file "/var/named/server.trenttompkins.com.db";
};

zone "trenttompkins.com" {
type master;
file "/var/named/trenttompkins.com.db";
};

I don't understand why you have 2 zone files for trenttompkins.com and server.trenttompkins.com. You can have the A record for server.trenttompkins.com in /var/named/trenttompkins.com.db.
The serial number is the number in the 2nd/3rd line usually and must be increased every time you do a change. See the example bellow:

Quote:

$TTL 86400 ; 1 day
@ IN SOA example.com. hostmaster.example.com. (
2009012601 ; Serial YYYYMMDDXX
10800 ; Refresh
3600 ; Retry
3600000 ; Expire
86400 ) ; minimum
...

You must restart or reload the dns when you make a change. Of course I don't know how you can achieve this using the cpanel interface, so you should check the documentation.

Quote:

I tried:
*. 14400 IN A 72.29.86.135
and
* 14400 IN A 72.29.86.135

The correct syntax is any of the following:

Code:

*.trenttompkins.com. IN A 72.29.86.135
or
* IN A 72.29.86.135