Linux hostname not accessible

Currently running Red Hat 7.2 for Samba and HTTP purposes. Just using
it as an internal server. I'm able to access the machine by IP
address, however, trying to access it in any way by hostname doesn't
work. "The hostname could not be found" or something to that effect.
Similarly when I try to ping my windows clients from the linux box.
It does not have a fully qualified domain name because I'd like to
keep it as anonymous as I can from the Internet. Any help would be
much appreciated.

JJ

On 21 Jul 2003 11:20:49 -0700, Jonathan Janssens wrote:
> Currently running Red Hat 7.2 for Samba and HTTP purposes. Just using
> it as an internal server. I'm able to access the machine by IP
> address, however, trying to access it in any way by hostname doesn't
> work. "The hostname could not be found" or something to that effect.
> Similarly when I try to ping my windows clients from the linux box.
> It does not have a fully qualified domain name because I'd like to
> keep it as anonymous as I can from the Internet. Any help would be
> much appreciated.

While waiting for an answer you might try

a Frequently Asked Questions (faq) Search engine:

http://groups.google.com/advanced_group_search
samba hostname domain windows smb in the first box
*linux* in the Newsgroup, pick English

(E-Mail Removed) (Jonathan Janssens) writes:

]Currently running Red Hat 7.2 for Samba and HTTP purposes. Just using
]it as an internal server. I'm able to access the machine by IP
]address, however, trying to access it in any way by hostname doesn't
]work. "The hostname could not be found" or something to that effect.
]Similarly when I try to ping my windows clients from the linux box.
]It does not have a fully qualified domain name because I'd like to
]keep it as anonymous as I can from the Internet. Any help would be
]much appreciated.

??? What help do you want? a) you cannot make up an IP address. You must
eitehr get one from a duly autorised provider of IP addresses, or use a
"non-routable" address ( 192.169.x.x, 10.x.x.x, )
b) to look up a host name your system MUST ask some duly authorised DNS
sever ( listed in your /etc/resolv.conf file) for the IP address of the
hostname. If the hostname is not listed with the DNS server, then there
is no way your system can find what the IP address is.
c) Do you really think computers know who is doing the looking up, and
can tailor their responses accordingly? Why is your request for the IP
address any different from anyone elses? If you hide your systems from
others, you hide it from yourself as well.

So what help do you want?

"Bit Twister" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
| On 21 Jul 2003 11:20:49 -0700, Jonathan Janssens wrote:
| > Currently running Red Hat 7.2 for Samba and HTTP purposes. Just using
| > it as an internal server. I'm able to access the machine by IP
| > address, however, trying to access it in any way by hostname doesn't
| > work. "The hostname could not be found" or something to that effect.
| > Similarly when I try to ping my windows clients from the linux box.
| > It does not have a fully qualified domain name because I'd like to
| > keep it as anonymous as I can from the Internet. Any help would be
| > much appreciated.
|
| While waiting for an answer you might try
|
| a Frequently Asked Questions (faq) Search engine:
|
| http://groups.google.com/advanced_group_search
| samba hostname domain windows smb in the first box
| *linux* in the Newsgroup, pick English
|

as BT points out, this has been answered alot. it has to do with
configuring Samba and WINS. you either need to tell and existing WINS
server you exist or set your linux server up to be the WINS server. Either
way, its a samba configuration issue. You still will not be able to ping
from the Linux box to the windows boxes. If you want to go through the
effort, lookup DDNS if it MUST be all "automatic".

ken k

Bill Unruh wrote:
> (E-Mail Removed) (Jonathan Janssens) writes:
>
> ]Currently running Red Hat 7.2 for Samba and HTTP purposes. Just
> using ]it as an internal server. I'm able to access the machine by IP
> ]address, however, trying to access it in any way by hostname doesn't
> ]work. "The hostname could not be found" or something to that effect.
> ]Similarly when I try to ping my windows clients from the linux box.
> ]It does not have a fully qualified domain name because I'd like to
> ]keep it as anonymous as I can from the Internet. Any help would be
> ]much appreciated.
>
> ??? What help do you want? a) you cannot make up an IP address. You
> must eitehr get one from a duly autorised provider of IP addresses,
> or use a "non-routable" address ( 192.169.x.x, 10.x.x.x, )
> b) to look up a host name your system MUST ask some duly authorised
> DNS sever ( listed in your /etc/resolv.conf file) for the IP address
> of the hostname. If the hostname is not listed with the DNS server,
> then there is no way your system can find what the IP address is.
> c) Do you really think computers know who is doing the looking up, and
> can tailor their responses accordingly? Why is your request for the IP
> address any different from anyone elses? If you hide your systems from
> others, you hide it from yourself as well.
>
> So what help do you want?

ugh! could've just told him to configure the WINS /nbns properly! bad day eh
;-)

Bill Unruh wrote:

> b) to look up a host name your system MUST ask some duly authorised DNS
> sever ( listed in your /etc/resolv.conf file) for the IP address of the
> hostname. If the hostname is not listed with the DNS server, then there
> is no way your system can find what the IP address is.

Ahem. Keyword: dnsmasq (no need to hassle with BIND)

-Timo

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