🚀 go-pugleaf

I have installed the latest DNS (bind-4.9.5-P1) on my system and made
it work in 2 different modes:
  1. as a caching nameserver while connected to the net via a dial-up
     ppp link to my ISP.
  2. as a root nameserver for my LAN while not connected to the net.

The switching between the modes is done from my ``IP-UP/DOWN'' scripts
by injecting an ``options'' line into ``/etc/named.boot'' and running
``named.reload''.  Since the ``no-recursion'' option can only be set
and not reset, I patched the source to accept an extra option to reset
``no-recursion''.  This seems to work fine.

Questions:
  1. Is there a better way of achieving this mode switching?
  2. Any reason why I shouldn't be doing this?


Also, the man page for ``named.reload'' states:
    "Does  not  check  to see if the name server is actually running, 
     and could use a stale PID ....."

Questions:
  1. If I re-write the ``named.reload'' script to use ``/bin/kill''
     instead of the shell built-in ``kill'', to send it a ``SIGHUP'' 
     would that be safe?
  2. If I wrote a C program to accomplish the signaling, what would
     be the recommended way of finding another processes PID?

Thanks to everyone who commented on my previous posting regarding
DNS.  I took your advice and bought ``DNS and BIND''.  :-)

-- 
Manfred Bartz <mbartz@werple.net.au>
------------------------------------
 Linux is Choice -- Linux is Power!