[PATCH] resolv.conf addition for mobile users

[Guido Roeskens]

Hello,

 > Jean Tourrilhes wrote:
> Danny Mayer wrote :
> 
>>At 12:19 PM 6/18/2004, Jean Tourrilhes wrote:
>>
>>>        Any extra clarification needed ?
>>
>>Yes. BIND is a server, not a client. It has nothing whatsoever to do with 
>>resolving
>>addresses for applications running on the system. BIND does create it's own
>>library (libbind) for link with applications that need address resolution, 
>>but that
>>doesn't help with applications that are already linked or link with the O/S's
>>libraries.
>>

That's one point. Bind normally is seen as the DNS server.
- You'd have to change a lot in libresolv and lwres.
- The OS libraries would have to take up these changes

On the other hand this is a user land problem.
- OSX and Windows handle this in userland or "half-userland".
- pppd (at least on linux and *BSD) configuration can be tuned
   wheter to overwrite /etc/resolv.conf or not.
- Redhat uses its network scripts (ifup and friends), Debian and other
   distros have similar scripts.
   You can adapt them to your needs (specific) or add similar options
   like you sugessted in a generic way.
- for the Redhat example: in /etc/sysconfig/network(ing?) you have
   config files for the interfaces. you can add your changes there and
   adapt the ifup/ifdown scripts to use your new configuration items.

> 	Ok, you really missed the beggining of the discussion. I've
I didn't miss the beginning and I immediately thought this is to be 
solved in userland

> just realised that the bind-users and bind9-users mailing list have
> just merged, and probably you did not read my initial e-mail on
> bind9-users :
> 	http://marc.theaimsgroup.com/?l=bind9-users&m=108682945122532&w=2
> 	Sorry about the confusion, I did not realise that.
> 
> 	The story goes like this :
> 	o glibc uses libresolv from bind8 package (with modification)
> 	o glibc has an option to use lwres from bind9 package
> 	o I would hate forking glibc resolver
> 	o My initial patch is for lwres (not bind itself)
> 	o I stated my intend to patch libresolv if people like my proposal
> 	o I don't plan to propose any change to bind or the DNS protocol
> 
- Everybody can change it the way they want
- It doesn't bloat the system (libraries)
- It gives more flexibility; e.g someone else might want to to
   something different which your solution doesn't handle.
- It would work immedieatly for you (and anyone else using your patches)
- If the solution is considered useful by RedHat or any other distro
   it will be merged to the code base in a reasonable amount of time
- Changing (g)libc is big task. You will need to convince many people
   and I think those who are responsible for merging changes will tell
   you also "do it in userland (e.g. scripts)


Guido