[nzlug] Re: Simple DNS server

[Daniel Pittman]

Nevyn <nevynh at gmail.com> writes:

> I've always found webmin to be just plain silly. Instead of making
> things easier, it seems to be an alternative to editing config files.

Well, in my experience it varies pretty wildly.  However...

> I.e. I don't really want to know the intricacies of dns - all I want
> to do is be able to say to it is "if I ask for this name, return this
> ip address". 

...if you want to run a DNS server you *need* to understand a large
number of intricacies.  You can't just map a name and IP, for example,
because...

> Eg. I don't want to know what MX records are. 

...MX records are more complex, and you need to understand where
wildcard MX and non-wildcard MX records should exist.  You also need to
understand where direct-to-A mail delivery will and will not work.

Without understanding that you /will/ inevitably lose email.

> Even worse, I don't want to know about reverse-lookup files - this
> seems like twice the work to me with the results offering one
> thing. 

Even worse, you need to understand the fact that reverse delegation is
still classful even though the rest of the Internet went classless more
than a decade ago.

Without that you can't "just" create the reverse zone -- you may not,
and in most cases where it matters do not have control of the
appropriate reverse delegation zone.  Most people just don't own their
own class C. ;)


Oh, and Webmin simply can't help you out with some other important
aspects of DNS such as glue records at the zone delegation level.


The idea that you can be insulated from the complexities of DNS is,
sadly, one of the reasons that there are so many domains with faulty
records out there these days.


For all that I do generally agree with your position on Webmin. :)

Regards,
        Daniel
-- 
Digital Infrastructure Solutions -- making IT simple, stable and secure
Phone: 0401 155 707        email: contact at digital-infrastructure.com.au
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