Subject: Re: RTFM Resources Wanted & networking
From: John Canning (john@pcc.com )
Date: Sun Jul 01 2001 - 23:15:55 MDT
Hi Ted -
This message is divided into two parts. The first attempts to
address some of your generic comments and questions about how
linux documentation is organized. The second is my outline
for setting up a new Linux machine to work on a network. We've
followed it for Intel and PowerPC machines, so it is rather
generic (in other words, it is not specific to YDL, so you may
have to use slightly different commands or files).
First, about your comments and generic questions:
In one message you wrote:
There seems to be no help anywhere at all, in any place for this
common situation. Makes me think I'm much dumber than the average
newbie.
Based on the questions you are asking, I don't think you are dumb in
any way shape or form. Your just making an attempt to do something
quite complicated and you don't yet have a lot of experience. In my
office, we always pair up someone who is new to Linux with someone who
has plenty of experience. This gives them each a chance to learn from
each other. In our local community, companies that are new to Linux
have worked with us (and other companies) on an informal mentorship
type program as well. I am sure there are some Linux gurus in your
area; you might want to look to joining a users' group or hooking up
with someone who can provide you with some guidance in person.
In regards to Linux documentation, you wrote:
This is great info. Many thanks. Wonder why it is hidden so? --
The documentation isn't really hidden; at least not to people who have
been using Unix/Linux for years and years. /usr/share/doc, /usr/man,
and the various directories for the individual packages are pretty
much the three places where you will find documentation on a linux
machine. On the Mac, you are lucky enough to have the help system
(I won't get into a discussion about how helpful it is/isn't). Many
people have tried to emulate the Mac's help system, but Linux is very
dynamic and they are just getting started. As a result, you end up
having to hunt around.
With regards to your specific setup, you write:
My setup is wondrously simple. Ethernet which can use a DCHP server
at 192.168.1.1 or take a fixed address (I would use 192.168.1.130
to make it easy to ftp to). Problem is I haven't a clue where to
enter this info.
When I installed YDL, it asked a question of me that indicated it
was going to use DHCP to configure itself. So, I didn't have to enter
anything anywhere. I just rebooted my laptop and it sent out a
DHCP request which was handled by one of our servers. I then set
my machine up to use the airport card (YDL has excellent documentation
at their web site on how to do this). It too worked like a charm.
As a result, I do not have a lot of direct experience with YDL on
configuring networking. Under other Linux releases, I would run
linuxconf. That prorgam makes it quite easy to specificy whether
or not you are going to use DHCP or a manually entered IP address.
If you enter your IP address manually, you will also have to enter
your Netmask, Gateway IP address, and name server IP address.
--Here's a simple outline we follow when setting up new Linux machines, or when creating networks from scratch. Please remember it's just an outline; it expects you to know how to do a lot of other things that it does not document...
Iithout DNS, make sure that there is no /etc/resolv.conf, and that the machine's IP address and host name are entered (via linuxconf)
If you shut off dns in linuxconf, that will remove /etc/resolv.conf.
The presence or absence of /etc/resolv.conf determines whether you will use DNS or /etc/hosts. If /etc/resolv.conf is present, DNS is assumed. Under linux, /etc/nsswitch.conf, gives you more control; see the man page for more details.
Setting up a live network
static IP addresses
design the network pick a domain name pick a sub netmask assign ourselves a network assign each machine an host address build IP address for each machine decide which machine will be our name server prtend we have a gateway configure each machine use linuxconf (must reboot) linuxconf edits files under /etc/sysconfig/network remove /etc/resolv.conf edit /etc/hosts to add entries for each machine, master and loopback connect the machines to the hub ping various machines
set up DNS
enter each machine's name and IP address into the proper files
You need to know which version of bind you are running:
Under version 4 configuration is /etc/named.boot Under version 8, we enter things in /etc/named.conf
0. stop named: linux: /etc/rc.d/init.d/named stop|start
1. set up /etc/named.conf (or named.boot)
2. set up /var/named/something.com
3. set up /var/named/admin-net
There are spaces in the first file for new machines; assign an IP address to the new machine and enter its domain name in each file. Be sure to update the headers.
When editing admin.net, be sure to put periods at the end of each system name.
to refresh named linux: /etc/rc.d/init.d/named stop|start
put back /etc/resolv.conf
make sure that named is set to run on reboot in linuxconf/smit
point machines to the DNS server
test the name server
1 nslookup # allows you to look up things at > server hostName > yourmachine.whatever.com > ^D
When you enter a machine name, it should return an IP address. If it doesn't, then you did something wrong:
Did you update the serial numbers in the named config files?
Did you refresh named on your server?
Did you clear the named cache on your secondary server?
ping each machine by name
dynamic addresses
collect MAC addresses under linux: tail -f /var/log/messages
set up DCHP enter MAC addresses into the proper files restart/refresh the deamons
updating DHCP
figure out the hardware ethernet address
edit dhcpd.conf add a new stanza for each machine be sure to enter the machine name in both places in the stanza
touch dhcdp.leases it goes in either /etc or /var/state/dhcdp
restart dhcp: /etc/rc.d/init.d/dhcpd restart
ping each machine by IP address ping each machine by name
telnet into the host
make sure that dhcpd is set to run on reboot in linuxconf/smit
This archive was generated by hypermail 2a24 : Sun Jul 01 2001 - 22:20:57 MDT