Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uwm.edu!rpi!uupsi!sunic!nuug!ifi!enag From: enag@ifi.uio.no (Erik Naggum) Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip.domains Subject: Re: How do I list domains under root server? Message-ID: Date: 3 Nov 90 14:23:06 GMT References: <9011010531.AA01630@mtu.edu> Sender: enag@ifi.uio.no (Erik Naggum) Distribution: inet Organization: Naggum Software, Oslo, Norway Lines: 41 Nntp-Posting-Host: hild.ifi.uio.no In-Reply-To: tony@MTU.EDU's message of 1 Nov 90 05:31:59 GMT Originator: enag@hild In article <9011010531.AA01630@mtu.edu> tony@MTU.EDU (Tony Dal Santo) writes: How would I go about listing all the domains under the root server. The domains I am refering to are on the same level as EDU, COM, GOV, etc. I tried using nslookup, and doing an "ls ." at ns.nasa.gov, but it just gave me the root servers, not the domains under the root servers. An example of my problem would be say I am looking for the domain for the United Kindom, how would I find out it was UK? Ah, the United Kingdom. The national Internet top-level domains are named after the naming defined in International Standard 3166, two- letter abbreviations. This standard declares that the two-letter abbreviation for "United Kingdom" is "GB". This is the right answer, according to the rules. Now, we need some history and folklore to know when to break the rules. There is only one two-letter national top-level domain which breaks the rules. The rule to break the rule is: "Is it British?" If yes, you break the rules, and make your own rules, subtly different from all other rules. The British Special Rule for Naming of Top-Level Domains in the Internet is that "We think UK sounds better." Seriously, though, the way to ask for the sub-domains of root is to give NIC's WHOIS the command SUB EXP DOM ROOT This will list the sub-domains of ROOT-DOM. The EXP is for Expand. The list includes the administrative contact points for the domains listed, not the countries. I know I got a list some time ago with the names of the countries and the continent indicated as well. Ask me if you would like to get it, and I'll update it to concur with the present root-level domains. -- [Erik Naggum] --