Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!bbs!karl
From: karl@naitc.naitc.com (Karl Denninger)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip.domains
Subject: Domain name service default MX forwarder doesn't seem to work
Summary: in.named botches domain name when wildcard MX is set for local domain
Message-ID: <1990Sep25.163807.9632@naitc.naitc.com>
Date: 25 Sep 90 16:38:07 GMT
Reply-To: karl@bbs.naitc.com (Karl Denninger)
Organization: A.C. Nielsen Co.
Lines: 52

We have local domain name service implemented (we'll set up for "real" root
servers and the like when our Internet link goes in).  As part of this, we
have one mail server, which exports /usr/spool/mail to all our workstations
and each workstation has their mail service pointed back at the mail host.

So far so good.

BUT, we want to have the Internet (when installed) think that anything in
our domain should have it's mail handled by the mailhost.  Now, if I read
the manuals and specs right, what I should do is insert something like this
into our domain files:

*.naitc.com.	IN	MX	0	nis.naitc.com.

Which ought to, if I recall correctly, send all the mail for our domain to 
the mailhost (nis) for disposition.

Only problem is -- it doesn't work.  It appears that in.named ignores the 
fact that I put a period on the end of the domain name, and adds the domain 
again! Thus, I end up with a MX for "*.naitc.com.naitc.com"!  ARGH!  This 
is >not< what I wanted! :-)

Leaving off the domain entirely gives the same result!  This doesn't make
sense... 

The real strange thing is that we also have a line in the zone file that reads:

*.mcs.com.	IN	MX	0	bbs.naitc.com.

Which works as one would expect -- a query for "mcs.mcs.com" returns a mail
handler of "bbs.naitc.com".

If I insert:

print		IN	MX	0	nis.naitc.com.

In the zone file it also works as I would expect and says that the machine
"print.naitc.com" has a mailhost of "nis.naitc.com".

What's up?  Any gurus care to explain why the first example doesn't work, and
the second two do?  Is our in.named just plain broken?  Should we bitch
loudly to Sun (not that it will do any good) or get a PD copy of in.named
(if one exists) and compile that?

We're running SunOS 4.1.

--
Karl Denninger	AC Nielsen
kdenning@ksun.naitc.com
(708) 317-3285
Disclaimer:  Contents represent opinions of the author; I do not speak for
	     AC Nielsen on Usenet.