NAME

     resolver - resolver configuration file


SYNOPSIS

     /etc/resolv.conf


DESCRIPTION

     The  resolver  is  a  set  of  routines  in  the  C  library
     (resolv(3))  that provide access to the Internet Domain Name
     System.  The resolver configuration file  contains  informa-
     tion  that  is  read by the resolver routines the first time
     they are invoked by a process.  The file is designed  to  be
     human  readable  and contains a list of keywords with values
     that provide various types of resolver information.

     On a normally configured system  this  file  should  not  be
     necessary.   The  only  name server to be queried will be on
     the local machine, the domain name is  determined  from  the
     host  name,  and  the domain search path is constructed from
     the domain name.

     The different configuration options are:

     nameserver
          Internet address (in dot notation)  of  a  name  server
          that the resolver should query.  Up to MAXNS (currently
          3) name servers may be listed,  one  per  keyword.   If
          there   are  multiple  servers,  the  resolver  library
          queries them in the order  listed.   If  no  nameserver
          entries  are  present,  the  default is to use the name
          server on the local machine.  (The algorithm used is to
          try  a name server, and if the query times out, try the
          next, until out of name servers, then repeat trying all
          the  name servers until a maximum number of retries are
          made).

     domain
          Local domain name.  Most queries for names within  this
          domain  can  use  short  names  relative  to  the local
          domain.  If no domain entry is present, the  domain  is
          determined   from  the  local  host  name  returned  by
          gethostname(2); the domain part is taken to  be  every-
          thing  after  the first `.'.  Finally, if the host name
          does not contain a domain  part,  the  root  domain  is
          assumed.

     search
          Search list for host-name lookup.  The search  list  is
          normally  determined  from  the  local  domain name; by
          default, it begins with the  local  domain  name,  then
          successive  parent  domains that have at least two com-
          ponents in their names.  This may be changed by listing
          the  desired  domain  search  path following the search
          keyword with spaces or tabs separating the names.  Most
          resolver queries will be attempted using each component
          of the search path in turn  until  a  match  is  found.
          Note  that this process may be slow and will generate a
          lot of network traffic if the servers  for  the  listed
          domains  are  not local, and that queries will time out
          if no server is available for one of the domains.

          The search list is currently  limited  to  six  domains
          with a total of 256 characters.

     The domain and search keywords are mutually  exclusive.   If
     more  than  one  instance  of these keywords is present, the
     last instance will override.

     The keyword and value must appear on a single line, and  the
     keyword  (e.g.  nameserver)  must start the line.  The value
     follows the keyword, separated by white space.


FILES

     /etc/resolv.conf


SEE ALSO

     gethostbyname(3N), resolver(3), hostname(7), named(8)
     Name Server Operations Guide for BIND