Re: [leafnode-list] fqdn validation

[Matthias Andree <ma@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Jeffrey Goldberg <jeffrey@xxxxxxxxxxxx> writes:

> On Fri, 12 Apr 2002, Matthias Andree wrote:
>
>> OK, if the "canonical" name is localhost.localdomain, we're lost. Does
>> taking the first alias that contains a dot and that does not start with
>> "localhost" and dropping the strlen altogether sound more reasonable?
>
> I'm not sure what the owner of localhost.com would think, but they're
> asking for trouble anyway!

They'll probably run leafnode on a machine like news.localhost.com,
which will not be subject to these restrictions.

> Or maybe leafnode should default to using "oemcomputer" for the canonical
> name.

No, leafnode should not roll any dice to figure a domain. Systems that
want network connectivity need a proper configuration. Period.

> I have mixed feelings about the whole thing. Generally, I'm not sure to
> what extent leafnode should try to work around the fact that lots of users
> don't configure their systems properly.

It is supposed to catch these cases, complain and refuse to work. That's
all.

> We also have to realize that leafnode will be used on "private" networks,
> and so the conventions to ensure uniqueness of names won't work. I think
> that the majority of leafnode users don't have domains of their own. So
> one way or the other we face the "localhost.localdomain" problem whether
> those particular names are there or not.

People MUST use a proper domain, see the pertinent Message-ID
FAQs. Usenet access does impose higher requirements on the configuration
than a "play tuxracer" machine. Such is life. There are many free domain
forwarders, Message-ID domains, ISPs offer unique domain names even
though they don't map, news.cis.dfn.de offers this, so there's really
enough choice to get a FQDN. Remember, we don't need DNS, we only need
to make sure the domain is unique.

If need be, we might be able to offer ID-1278234.users.leafnode.org and
possibly ask Thomas Hochstein or some other person for a registration
software (CGI for web server maybe) for these domains, but Cornelius has
to decide on this, because he owns leafnode.org.

However, I don't see an urgent need to do this with the leafnode.org
domain, there are enough services out there.

-- 
Matthias Andree

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