iB::Topic::Can't get /etc/resolv.conf fixed

	Damn Small Linux :: Damn Small Linux Board The DSL Forums

» Welcome Guest
[ Log In :: Register ]

Damn Small Linux Board » Damn Small Linux » Networking » Can't get /etc/resolv.conf fixed

		Mini-ITX Boards Sale, Fanless BareBones Mini-ITX, Bootable 1G DSL USBs, 533MHz Fanless PC <-- SALE $200 each!
		Get The Official Damn Small Linux Book. DSL Market , Great VPS hosting provided by Tektonic

[ Track this topic :: Email this topic :: Print this topic ]

Topic: Can't get /etc/resolv.conf fixed

< Next Oldest | Next Newest >

lesliek

Group: Members
Posts: 91
Joined: Feb. 2006

Posted: Feb. 28 2006,04:06

I have two files with the same name, /etc/resolv.conf and /opt/ppp/resolv.conf.

I edited both of them to add nameservers I needed.

I then added /etc/resolv.conf to the list in /home/dsl/.filetool.lst, because I wasn't sure which of the two resolv.confs was the operative one.

After a reboot, the added nameservers were still in /opt/ppp/resolv.conf, but not in /etc/resolv.conf.

I then dialed up an ISP whose DNS address I'd added to both files. When I tried to use my browser, I had no success, which told me that the operative resolv.conf file was the one in /etc.

Since I'd added the resolv.conf in /etc to .filetool.lst, it seems to me that the contents of that resolv.conf must've disappeared before I re-booted the computer.

If that's the case, what should I be doing to make sure that the added nameserver addresses are permanently preserved?

roberts

Group: Members
Posts: 4983
Joined: Oct. 2003

Posted: Feb. 28 2006,06:14

I am assuming that this is a continuation of the dialup issues.
The file for ppp dial up is /opt/ppp/resolv.conf
The nameserver(s) should be populated automatically by your ISP.
I think you found that dialup did work with a different ISP.
The entire /opt/ppp is in the default .filetool.lst so all of your dialup properties should persist.

Also, if you watch the log file as the connection is being established you should see the following:

... local IP .....
... remote IP ...
... primary DNS ...
... secondary DNS ...

All of the above should come from your dialup ISP provider.

A sucessfull connection both files /etc/resolv.conf and /opt/ppp/resolv.conf are populated on my system.

HTH

lesliek

Group: Members
Posts: 91
Joined: Feb. 2006

Posted: Feb. 28 2006,08:10

Thanks yet again for trying to help me, but I'm really getting discouraged now, when I have only this last step to take before I can hand the computer on to the young man who's supposed to be using it.

Yesterday, I could get on to ISP2 (my own) using the computer, but that doesn't help the young man, who's supposed to use ISP1.

I therefore tried again today. When I dialled his ISP, I connected properly, but again couldn't browse. I assumed that that was because the browser needed the number of a DNS for ISP1 and couldn't find it. I closed the browser, went to /etc/resolv.conf and added the numbers for ISP1's DNSs, which I had found at its website earlier. I saved the file and re-opened the browser. Everything then worked as it should. After that, that's when I decided to add /etc/resolv.conf to the filetool list.

As mentioned before, when I rebooted and opened /etc/resolv.conf, what I'd added was no longer there.

From what you say, I infer that I shouldn't have found there what I'd added, that it only lasted for as long as I was connected to the ISP and then disappeared when I disconnected. Then, when I reconnected, it should have appeared again.

Well, the latter step definitely hasn't been happening. It seems that the only way I can overcome it is to add the numbers manually. That's obviously not a long term method of proceeding.

Do some ISPs, rather than assigning the numbers when one dials up, require this to be set up in advance by the user in some way that does persist?

I've tried to find some discussion about these things, but feel like I'm looking for a needle in a haystack. Much of the stuff seems to be old, but some of it tells the reader to add the DNS addresses to the resolv.conf file himself. I assume that's been overtaken by newer solutions.

Is there some other way entirely of setting this up which might work? I see that wvdial is apart of DSL and I saw references to it in my reading. However, it seems to have an accompanying application wvdialconf, which isn't in DSL.

If you can give me any hints at all, I'd be very grateful.

Leslie

roberts

Group: Members
Posts: 4983
Joined: Oct. 2003

Posted: Feb. 28 2006,19:14

Sounds like the one ISP does not want to play nice.
That's OK we can work around it.

From the DialUp GUI
Click Config
Select Change OK
Select provider name that you have previously entered OK
Select Advanced OK
Select Nameservers OK

Here I would first try selecting Static and enter the namesers as prompted.
Try this solution first as the nameserss should persist in a normal backup and be associated with this ISP.

If you still have issues then I would try selecting None and manually editing /etc/resolv.conf and add this to the .filetool.lst

HTH

lesliek

Group: Members
Posts: 91
Joined: Feb. 2006

Posted: Mar. 01 2006,03:20

I waited to reply until I felt I could do so with confidence that the problem was solved. Your drawing to my attention the nameservers setting under the advanced options was what I needed.

I looked at how the entries for each of the ISPs I've been trying to contact went.

The one I've been able to use successfully was set to dynamic for nameservers, but the one I hadn't been able to use was set to static. I'm not conscious of having done anything which led to that difference, although I can't rule out having done something unknowingly.

In any event, I thought I'd try to change the static.to dynamic for the ISP I've been having difficulty with. As soon as I did that and then dialed up, I saw in the messages what you'd told me earlier I should see, namely, lines assigning IP addresses for primary and secondary DNSs, and all went normally.

I've shut down, rebooted and then dialed up the crucial ISP three or four times now, just to satisfy myself that it was working. It was.

I hope I don't jinx myself by saying it's all fixed now, but I do genuinely think it is.

Thank you very much for all your help and for your patience.

I think DSL's so clever, I'm now going to find an old machine on which to use it myself, just for the fun of it.

Thanks again,

Leslie

4 replies since Feb. 28 2006,04:06

< Next Oldest | Next Newest >

[ Track this topic :: Email this topic :: Print this topic ]

Damn Small Linux Board » Damn Small Linux » Networking » Can't get /etc/resolv.conf fixed