Installation guide

Chapter 15.
BIND Configuration
This chapter assumes that you have a basic understanding of BIND and DNS; it does not
attempt to explain the concepts of BIND and DNS. This chapter does explain how to use the
BIND Configuration Tool (bindconf) to configure basic BIND server zones for BIND ver-
sion 8. The BIND Configuration Tool creates the /etc/named.conf configuration file and
the zone configuration files in the /var/named directory each time you apply your changes.
If you require more functionality than this tool provides, you can create the
/etc/named.conf configuration file using the BIND Configuration Tool and then add
your customized settings. However, once you manually modify the configuration file, you
cannot use BIND Configuration Tool to edit the custom configuration settings that were
added manually.
Important
Do not edit the /etc/named.conf configuration file. BIND Configuration Tool generates this file
after you apply your changes. If you want to configure settings that are not configurable using BIND
Configuration Tool, then do not use it.
The BIND Configuration Tool requires the X Window System and root access. To start the
BIND Configuration Tool, use one of the following methods:
• On the GNOME desktop, go to the Main Menu Button (on the Panel) => Programs =>
System => DNS Configuration.
• On the KDE desktop, go to the Main Menu Button (on the Panel) => System => DNS
Configuration.
• Type the command bindconf at a shell prompt (for example, in an XTerm or GNOME-
terminal).