resolv.conf, NetworkManager, no ping response on one nameserver

[jackson byers]

Tim wrote:

> The domain= or search= parameters are to do with what domain names to
> automatically prepend to hostnames.

> The same goes for other things you address by just a hostname (NFS
> mounts, mail servers, web servers, etc.),
> and for constructing local
> domain names from DHCP assigned hostnames (though it might be the source
> of providing the domain name, rather than the client adding a domain
> name).


> If you do that sort of thing (make use of short hostnames), having an
> inappropriate domain name parameter will cause you problems.  If you
> don't do that sort of thing, you'll probably never notice it.

> An "inappropriate" domain name is one that isn't yours to control, and
> that includes your ISP's domain name.

> The domain parameter virtually says this is your domain.  The search
> parameter can list a series of domain names to try appending.  Though
> you really shouldn't have both options set, according to the docs I read
> some time ago.

I make very little use of short hostnames.

re whether I should be trying to change my domain from pacbell.net  to
sbcglobal.net:

i get response from "shieldsup":
----------------
"Your Internet connection's IP address is uniquely associated with the
following "machine name":

ppp-71-xxx-xx-xxx.dsl.snfc21.pacbell.net

The string of text above is known as your Internet connection's
"reverse DNS." The end of the string is probably a domain name related
to your ISP. This will be common to all customers of this ISP. But the
beginning of the string uniquely identifies your Internet connection.
The question is: Is the beginning of the string an "account ID" that
is uniquely and permanently tied to you, or is it merely related to
your current public IP address and thus subject to change?..."
------------------

for that quad number: first two numbers i think remain the same,
but the last two change periodically. How often I don't have enough data to say.

 For me  pacbell.net  is "probably a domain name related to your ISP"

It then seems ok, maybe unnecessary?, that I  use "DOMAIN=pacbell.net"
 in my ifcfg-eth0.
And I will drop the idea of trying to change domain from  pacbell.net
to sbcglobal.net

FWIW,
 NM-created resolv.conf:
[byers at f12 f12]$ cat /etc/resolv.conf
# Generated by NetworkManager
search pacbell.net
nameserver 206.13.31.12
nameserver 68.94.156.1
[byers at f12 f12]$

doesn't use both "search" and "domain", consistent with your advice

thanks
Jack