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RESOLVER(5)                   File Formats Manual                  RESOLVER(5)

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  information 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
              everything  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  components  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

4th Berkeley Distribution      December 14, 1989                   RESOLVER(5)

NAME | SYNOPSIS | DESCRIPTION | FILES | SEE ALSO