LinuxSA Mailing list archives

  From: Don Priv <sysdon@spf15.jorn.gov.au>
  To  : Matthew.Tippett@dsto.defence.gov.au
  Date: Thu, 10 Jul 1997 09:47:29 +0930

Re: Unable to hang ten!!?? :-(

Matt et al,

> From: Matthew Tippett <Matthew.Tippett@dsto.defence.gov.au>
> Organization: ITD/DSTO
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> To: Don Priv <sysdon@spf15.jorn.gov.au>
> CC: linuxsa@linuxsa.org.au
> Subject: Re: Unable to hang ten!!??  :-(
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> Don Priv wrote:
> > 
> > Hello all,
> > I'm trying reeeeal hard to move from the Big Bug (M$ W95) to Linux -
> > RH4.0 but having a few glitches (time restrictions being the main
> > offender).
> Isn't time always the problem.
> 
> > The problem I'm having at the moment is that I can successfully dial
> > into my ISP O.K. and can ftp, ssh and telnet, but can't surf. 
> That indicates to me that your IP level config is fine.  Are you
> connecting
> to your ISP, or are you going out to the greater internet?  Are you
> connecting
> to an IP address or letting DNS resolve a name?
> 
> > I've got Netscrape Navigator 3 (netscape 4-Communicator is too big and too
> > flaky for my liking) 
> Big, yes it is, but Communicator 4.01b6 is *HEAPS* better, very few 
> bus errors at all, *EVEN* with Java/Javascript enabled.  I'd recommend
> it.
So I've been told by a number of ppl now.  My impression was from an earlier v4.x on the Sun box I'm using at work.  Crashing within 10 minutes of start-up is written in to the code of that version of Communicator I think .  ;-)


> 
> > but I always get "Unable to find DNS entry" when
> > I fire it up.  It is refering to the proxy address of the ISP as well
> > as the home page on my ISP server I've set for it.  Here are my real
> > queries:
> Sounds like your proxy config is confused.  BTW is it possible to post a 
> complete display of the error.  If you are going through a proxy it does
> the resolving for you (or at least some do I think).
> 
> > 1) Is there a particular daemon(s) I need to have running?  I removed
> > a few from the startup sequence and might have removed one that is
> > needed!?!?
> Don't think so.  The shouldn't need any daemons other than pppd to
> connect
> to an ISP at the IP level.  To get service connections you might need a 
> daemon or two, but not for http.
> > 
> > 2) Could it be my local IP address setup?  I'm running a local network
> > at home with this box using 10.0.0.x for it and the Win'95 and WFW3.11
> > boxes.
> run the following commands and post the output (Before and after you
> connect).
> 	
> 	ifconfig
> 	netstat -r
> 
> That could be your problem.
>  
> > 3) What else could it be????
> My method of attack would be to work up the networking layers.  You say
> that
> you have got limited IP connectivity...
> 
> 1)	is IP working (and ICMP) technically.  Can you ping the outside
> 	world.  If not check routing and network interfaces.  If you try
> 	to ping and your modem lights don't blink you have routing problems.
> 	To try an address try 203.16.230.111 (the LinuxSA web server :).
> 	More importantly can you ping your DNS server?
> 2)	is DNS working (and hence UDP)?  Do a ping www.linuxsa.org.au :),
> 	that should resolve to 203.16.230.111 and have responses in the
> 	order of 200-500 ms (for a modem).
> 3)	Does TCP work?  Try telneting to a host lux.levels.unisa.edu.au is
> 	a local host I know will respond.  If you get to here then you 
> 	know that your networking is going fine.
> 
> 4)	Now that your networking is fine, does your ISP allow non-proxied
> 	browsing.  If so try http://www.linuxsa.org.au :).  If not double
> 	check your proxy settings, if your ISP is using a autoconfig proxy
> 	setup check the file ~/.netscape/proxyconf.  That should give you
> 	enough to get going.
> 
> My guess it would either be your routing or your proxy config.
> 
The problem was far, far, more complex than that.  Want to know what it was?
weeeeeeell.........

I hadn't set up resolv.conf with the DNS entries.  That's it!  Nothing tricky.  Just an ignorant user.   hehehehehe
Thanks to Wes 'The Wiz' Hosking for picking it straight off.  (He'll thump me for mentioning him   |-O )

I'm now happily surfin' away from my 486DX-33 Linux box, 32MB RAM,  and can tell you it's faster than my 686-P166+ Win'95 box with 48MB RAM.  I'll get the hang of this Linux thing one day.  Now all I need is to get 'makewhatis' working so I can genereate a database for 'apropos' to use!  Hmmph.  I HATE those 'Directory or file does not exist' type messages!  I've tried telling it where the directories are but it still spits eg. 'makewhatis -v /usr/man /var/catman'.  It processes the man pages then throws up the errors.  Ho Humm.

don.