Newsgroups: comp.protocols.appletalk
Path: utzoo!utgpu!cunews!bnrgate!bwdls61!bnr.ca!bschmidt
From: bschmidt@bnr.ca (Ben Schmidt (BNR))
Subject: MacTCP: setting default DNS domain thru Host file?
Message-ID: <1991Mar6.161545.18386@bwdls61.bnr.ca>
Sender: usenet@bwdls61.bnr.ca (Use Net)
Organization: Bell-Northern Research
Date: Wed, 6 Mar 1991 16:15:45 GMT

How do you tell MacTCP, **from the Hosts file***, what domain is to be
considered the *default* domain.

I.E. If you try and resolve the address of "Host A", *without* a
period at the end, MacTCP should tack on a *default* domain, and try
to resolve that.

From the MacTCP control panel it's straightforward. There's a radio
button you can press next to the namserver entry you want to be
considered as the *default* domain.  

But how can  you get the effect of this radio button for an entry in
the "Hosts" file?

We appreciate Apple's efforts to allow us to lock MacTCP so users
can't shoot themselves or others in the foot by inadvertently
altering their MacTCP drivers to duplicate IP addresses.  

But with MacTCP locked, we'd like to distribute DNS nameserver
locations by just having our users drop a Hosts file into their System
Folders.  

The downside appears to be that, while the Hosts file works, the users
lose the ability to have a default domain.  They must type all host
names in their MacTCP-based applications as: "Host.domain", rather
than "Host".

Is there some flag one can use in the Host file to mark a domain as
default?  

Ben Schmidt     Bell-Northern Research, Ltd.   Ph: (613) 763-3906
Information     P.O. Box 3511, Station C       FAX:(613) 763-3283
Technology      Ottawa Canada K1Y 4H7          bschmidt@bnr.ca