unable to resolve the host name

["Atul Chitnis" <achitnis@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> unable to resolve the host name.

I see so many questions about this on this list (and at PCQL) that I really
wonder whether anyone ever thinks it over before they post their questions.

Well for once, I am *not* going to give you the answer. I am going to
*force* you to think, and to understand the tools you have under your
control, rather than just blindly using them.

The Internet has billions of addresses. While we humans think of them in
terms of names (like www.linux-india.org or www.pcquest.com), computers do
not - they know them as numbers (216.121.9.126 or 209.194.84.59). This is
very similar to using a phone - you might think "let me call up Atul", but
your telephone doesn't know that name, it needs to know the telephone
number! You cannot dial "A-T-U-L" and expect to get through.

Obviously, you need to co-relate the name to a number. For the telephone,
you pick up the phone directory, look up "Chitnis, Atul" and find the number
associated with it.

On the Internet, when you type "http://www.linux-india.org";, you are only
telling the machine that you wish to go to that site. The machine now needs
to do a directory lookup to associate an IP address to that name. So *it* in
turn queries a directory service, asking it "what is the IP address
associated with www.linux-india.org?".

Now *anyone* who has ever use the Internet before (through Windows or
anything else) will have figured out by now what I am talking about. Even in
the Windows setup, you need to specify some numbers for a service that your
machine can send domain name queries to.

Now here is a pop quiz for you:

"What is this service we are talking about?"

(Hint, it is a three letter acronymn, and starts with D and ends with S)

If you successfully made it past this enormously difficult question -
congratulations!

Now that you know the answer, how about doing one of the following:

1. If you are using kppp to connect, how about going back to the kppp
settings and locating the the place where entries for this service are made,
AND FILLING THEM IN?

2. If you are not using kppp (or a similar tool), try locating a file into
which these entries have to be made (hint - it is found in the place where
nearly all configuration files are stored under Linux/Unix, and the name has
something to do with resolv ing conf iguration.....)

Finally, after you have successfully slapped yourself across the forehead
saying something like "oh hell, of course!", let this be an object lesson to
you. Try thinking logically, and answers will come pouring in - in no time
people will be surprised if *you* ever ask a question! ;-)

Atul


- -----------------------------------------------------------
Atul Chitnis     | achitnis@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (PGP:6011BCB8)
C&B Consulting   | http://www.cbconsulting.com
Bangalore, India | +91(80)3440397 Fax +91(80)3341137
- -----------------------------------------------------------


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