The Ubuntu Document Storage Facility has a good article on setting up a DNS server using Bind.
You can read the original here or check it out below the jump.
After looking on Ubuntu forum for an easy step-by-step howto for instaling a DNS server, I decided the best idea would probably be to write this howto myself…. So, here it is!
Step 1: Install Ubuntu dapper, or use your WORKING installation.
Step2: Install bind 9:
 Code: |
|
sudo apt-get install bind9 |
Step 3: Configure the main Bind files. Usually, if you install Bind from the source code, you will have to edit the file named.conf. However, Ubuntu provides you with a pre-configured Bind, so we will edit another file:
| Code: |
|
sudo vi /etc/bind/named.conf.local |
This is where we will insert our zones. By the way, a zone is a domain name that is referenced in the DNS server
Insert this in the named.conf.local file:
| File:named.conf.local |
# This is the zone definition. replace example.com with your domain name
zone "example.com" {
type master;
file "/etc/bind/zones/example.com.db";
};
# This is the zone definition for reverse DNS. replace 0.168.192 with your network address in reverse notation - e.g my network address is 192.168.0
zone "0.168.192.in-addr.arpa" {
type master;
file "/etc/bind/zones/rev.0.168.192.in-addr.arpa";
};
|
Ok, now, let’s edit the options file:
| Code: |
|
sudo vi /etc/bind/named.conf.options |
We need to modify the forwarder. This is the DNS server to which your own DNS will forward the requests he cannot process.
| File:named.conf.options |
forwarders {
# Replace the address below with the address of your provider's DNS server
123.123.123.123;
};
|
Now, let’s add the zone definition files (replace example.com with your domain name:
| Code: |
|
sudo mkdir /etc/bind/zones sudo vi /etc/bind/zones/example.com.db |
The zone definition file is where we will put all the addresses / machine names that our DNS server will know. You can take the following example:
| File:example.com.db |
// replace example.com with your domain name. do not forget the . after the domain name! // Also, replace ns1 with the name of your DNS server example.com. IN SOA ns1.example.com. admin.example.com. ( // Do not modify the following lines! 2006081401 28800 3600 604800 38400 ) // Replace the following line as necessary: // ns1 = DNS Server name // mta = mail server name // example.com = domain name example.com. IN NS ns1.example.com. example.com. IN MX 10 mta.example.com. // Replace the IP address with the right IP addresses. www IN A 192.168.0.2 mta IN A 192.168.0.3 ns1 IN A 192.168.0.1 |
Now, let’s create the reverse DNS zone file:
| Code: |
|
sudo vi /etc/bind/zones/rev.0.168.192.in-addr.arpa |
Copy and paste the following text, modify as needed:
| File:rev.0.168.192.in-addr.arpa |
//replace example.com with your domain name, ns1 with your DNS server name. // The number before IN PTR example.com is the machine address of the DNS server. in my case, it's 1, as my IP address is 192.168.0.1. @ IN SOA ns1.example.com. admin.example.com. ( 2006081401; 28800; 604800; 604800; 86400 ) IN NS ns1.example.com. 1 IN PTR example.com |
Ok, now you just need to restart bind:
| Code: |
|
sudo /etc/init.d/bind9 restart |
We can now test the new DNS server…
Step 4: Modify the file resolv.conf with the following settings:
| Code: |
|
sudo vi /etc/resolv.conf |
enter the following:
| File:resolv.conf |
// replace example.com with your domain name, and 192.168.0.1 with the address of your new DNS server. search example.com nameserver 192.168.0.1 |
Now, test your DNS:
| Code: |
|
dig example.com |
January 9th, 2007 at 11:22 am
Why would anyone want to use the notoriously insecure Bind?
February 18th, 2009 at 10:54 am
I found your blog on google and read a few of your other posts. I just added you to my Google News Reader. Keep up the good work. Look forward to reading more from you in the future.
April 25th, 2009 at 3:51 am
A fantastic read….very literate and informative. Many thanks….where is your RSS button ?