On Sun, 17 Jan 1999, Luke Mewburn wrote:

: > NetBSD's default should reflect common usage. The common usage is "DNS,
: > files" in that order. This should work when there isn't an nsswitch.conf.
: 
: I disagree for two reasons
: * It will involve a hack for a specific database (in this case `hosts')
:   in libc's nsdispatch(3). People may ask for similar hacks to support
:   `passwd: compat  passwd_compat: nis' by default too.

I believe both sould be this way.  Without, it breaks backwards
compatibility - and I don't care if the answer is supposedly `upgrade your
/etc'; people DON'T do that on a regular basis.

:   The nsdispatch(3) routines are designed to be generic, and I don't
:   like the idea of having specific hardcoded fallbacks (besides the
:   default `files') just to suit people.

Suit existing practice.  These should use defaults equal to the way NetBSD
has been distributed in the past; I don't care if they're `hacks'.

: * I've been in situations where the previous default of `lookup bind files'
:   (if you didn't have a `lookup' line in resolv.conf) would bite you,
:   and you'd have to wait until the name server timed out because
:   you've specified a hostname somewhere and you can't lookup things
:   until your network is fully operational.

Then you should set a different default.  Mine is "lookup files bind".

Of course, I don't remeber if this was mentioned -- if there's no "hosts"
line in nsswitch.conf, does it use the "lookup" line in resolv.conf?

-- 
-- Todd Vierling (Personal tv@pobox.com; Bus. todd_vierling@xn.xerox.com)