Date: Tue, 22 Sep 1998 20:03:24 -0400 (EDT) From: "Woodchuck" <djv@bedford.net> To: dhw@whistle.com (David Wolfskill) Cc: FreeBSD-Questions@FreeBSD.ORG, jfrodo42@hotmail.com Subject: Re: "invalid hostname" on "last" Message-ID: <199809230003.UAA11322@lucy.bedford.net> In-Reply-To: <199809221645.JAA15029@pau-amma.whistle.com> from David Wolfskill at "Sep 22, 98 09:45:59 am"
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David Wolfskill wrote:
> >From: "Jane Frodo" <jfrodo42@hotmail.com>
> >Date: Mon, 21 Sep 1998 17:21:17 PDT
>
> > We have a user who always shows "invalid hostname" when
> >we "last <username>". The problem is it looks ok on nslookup!
> >One of the ip's you can look at is 209.63.23.76. This IP has
> >no DNS errors I can _see_, but last _hates_ it!
>
> > What is last trying to tell me about this IP?
>
> I suspect the following (from "man logwtmp"):
>
> DESCRIPTION
> The function logwtmp() tries to append a new record to the wtmp(5) file,
> using the provided arguments line, name, and host, and the current time.
>
> If the length of the hostname string host is longer than what would fit
> into the hostname field of the wtmp(5) file, it will first be attempted
> to convert it into a numerical IP address using gethostbyname(3). Fail-
> ing this, the hostname will be recorded as "invalid hostname".
>
> david
host 209.63.23.76 belongs to that strange class of hosts for which
a lame dns server has configured a reverse lookup, but no forward lookup,
so gethostbyname(3) will puke, as you point out.
from nslookup...
> set type=any
> 76.23.63.209.in-addr.arpa
Server: localhost
Address: 127.0.0.1
Non-authoritative answer:
76.23.63.209.in-addr.arpa name = ip76.castlenet.com
Authoritative answers can be found from:
23.63.209.in-addr.arpa nameserver = screwtape.redrock.net
23.63.209.in-addr.arpa nameserver = ns1.castlenet.com
screwtape.redrock.net internet address = 209.63.22.2
ns1.castlenet.com internet address = 209.63.23.2
> ip76.castlenet.com
Server: localhost
Address: 127.0.0.1
*** localhost can't find ip76.castlenet.com: Non-existent host/domain
>
So Jane needs to talk to the dns admins of screwtape.r.n and
ns1.castlenet.com. They both appear hosed.
Dave
--
Will hack for cabbages! Every day is Groundhog Day!
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