# resolver(5)

    NAME
         resolver - resolver configuration file

    SYNOPSIS
         /etc/resolv.conf

    DESCRIPTION

         The resolver is a set of routines  in  the  C  library  (resolv(3))  that
         provide  access  to  the  Internet  Domain  Name  System.   The  resolver
         configuration file contains information that  is  read  by  the  resolver
         routines  the  first  time  they  are  invoked by a process.  The file is
         designed to be human readable and contains a list of keywords with values
         that provide various types of resolver information.

         On a normally configured system this file should not be  necessary.   The
         only  name  server to be queried will be on the local machine, the domain
         name is determined from the host name, and  the  domain  search  path  is
         constructed from the domain name.

         The different configuration options are:

         nameserver
              Internet address (in  dot  notation)  of  a  name  server  that  the
              resolver  should  query.  Up to MAXNS (currently 3) name servers may
              be listed, one per keyword.  If  there  are  multiple  servers,  the
              resolver library queries them in the order listed.  If no nameserver
              entries are present, the default is to use the name  server  on  the
              local  machine.  (The algorithm used is to try a name server, and if
              the query times out, try the next, until out of name  servers,  then
              repeat trying all the name servers until a maximum number of retries
              are made).

         domain
              Local domain name.  Most queries for names within  this  domain  can
              use short names relative to the local domain.  If no domain entry is
              present, the domain is determined from the local host name  returned
              by  gethostname(2);  the domain part is taken to be everything after
              the first `.'.  Finally, if the host name does not contain a  domain
              part, the root domain is assumed.

         search
              Search list for host-name  lookup.   The  search  list  is  normally
              determined  from  the  local domain name; by default, it begins with
              the local domain name, then successive parent domains that  have  at
              least two components in their names.  This may be changed by listing
              the desired domain search path following  the  search  keyword  with
              spaces  or tabs separating the names.  Most resolver queries will be
              attempted using each component of the search path in  turn  until  a
              match  is  found.   Note  that  this  process  may  be slow and will
              generate a lot of network traffic if  the  servers  for  the  listed
              domains  are  not local, and that queries will time out if no server
              is available for one of the domains.

              The search list is currently limited to six domains with a total  of
              256 characters.

         The domain and search keywords are mutually exclusive.  If more than  one
         instance of these keywords is present, the last instance will override.

         The keyword and value must appear on a single line, and the keyword (e.g.
         nameserver)  must  start  the  line.   The  value  follows  the  keyword,
         separated by white space.

    FILES
         /etc/resolv.conf

    SEE ALSO
         gethostbyname(3N), resolver(3), hostname(7), named(8)
         Name Server Operations Guide for BIND