Starting a Name Server

1.19.1 Problem

You want to start a name server.

1.19.2 Solution

Run the program named or, if you're using BIND 8, use ndc:

# named

or:

# ndc start

1.19.3 Discussion

If root's path doesn't include the directory in which the named executable is installed (often /usr/sbin), you'll have to specify the full path:

# /usr/sbin/named

The pathname of the file ndc executes to start named is compiled-in. If it's not correct, you can edit the file Makefile.set and set the variable DESTSBIN to the directory in which named actually lives. Then recompile ndc with:

# cd bind-distribution-directory/src/bin/ndc
# make clean
# make ndc

The Makefile.set file you should modify is in the directory src/port/, where indicates the operating system you run (e.g., freebsd ).

If you need to start named with command-line arguments, you can specify them on the command-line:

# named -c /tmp/named.conf

Or, if you use ndc, you can specify them after the argument start:

# ndc start -c /tmp/named.conf

1.19.4 See Also

Section 3.2 for setting up and using ndc.