[ On Thursday, July 3, 2003 at 12:46:57 (-0400), Jim Wise wrote: ]
> Subject: Re: install/22044: missing domainname in rc.conf
>
> Although not quite obviously so, `domainname' sets or gets the _NIS_
> domain name of the current machine, and so is not relevant (and harmful
> if set) if NIS is not being used:

"harmful if set"?!?!?!?  I don't think so!

In fact if NIS really is not in use then domainname is a very useful
place to store the system's default DNS domain name.

I've been using it like this for decades now on all kinds of *nix
systems, including NetBSD.  The kernel does nothing with the value but
store it and return it when asked.

Having domainname set on any Internet-only machine (including those that
use NFS without NIS) causes absolutely no technical problems whatsoever
and can only confuse people who have their NIS hat's permanently glued
on backwards.

It often helps clarify the situation to NIS-on-the-brain users if an
Internet DNS domain name is prefixed with a leading '.' when it's stored
in the kernel though.

-- 
								Greg A. Woods

+1 416 218-0098;            <g.a.woods@ieee.org>;           <woods@robohack.ca>
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