Path: utzoo!utgpu!watserv1!watmath!att!linac!uwm.edu!wuarchive!uunet!bcstec!bcstec.uucp
From: ced@bcstec.uucp (Charles Derykus)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip
Subject: Confirming DNS name - what I really meant
Message-ID: <895@bcstec.boeing.com>
Date: 31 May 91 14:48:52 GMT
Sender: ced@bcstec.boeing.com
Distribution: na
Organization: Boeing Computer Services
Lines: 35

>I thought telneting in through the "smtp" port and capturing the output 
>would be an option but the "smtp" output resists capture.
>
| By "resists capture", I presume you mean you wish to run this from a script.
| (Do you have 'mconnect', and if so, did you try this)?

Yes, I was working with a script. I'm not familiar with 'mconnect' and couldn't 
find it on the RS6000.

> I am not sure what you expect by telnetting to the smtp port.  That isn't
> going to tell you what the host calls itself.  It will tell you what the
> smtp software on the host call itself.  Given how common misconfigured
> mail software is, I would trust the DNS over the smtp dialogue for giving
> the name.

> Then there is the question of what you mean by "what the host actually
> calls itself".  A good guess is that when it is talking to itself, it
> usually calls itself 'localhost', but somehow I doubt that this is what
> you mean.

> Do you mean `hostname`?.  Do you mean `hostname`.`domainname` (assuming
> that domainname exists)?  Do you mean the result of canonicalizing one of
> these with a host table lookup?  or with a DNS lookup?  And in any case,
> why would you care?

My intent was to ensure that DNS matched machine x with its "real" name -
what was configured in smtp and hopefully the same as the /etc/hosts name
used for host name initialization during booting. If machine x's smtp name
mismatchs DNS's name for machine "x", won't mail delivery to "x" misfire
for example?


Charles DeRykus				Internet:   ced@bcstec.boeing.com
Boeing Computer Services		UUCP:	    ...!uunet!bcstec!ced
Renton, WA.  M/S 6R-37			(206) 234-9223