Here are some basic instructions on configuring your name server to access the OpenNIC Top-Level Domains (TLDs). This page has, at the moment, instructions for only a limited range of nameservers. If you've configured another DNS server to use OpenDNS, please post some instructions to the discussion list so we can expand this page.

Please note that these instructions are for configuring a nameserver as an OpenNIC Tier 2 server or for your own use. Configuration of an OpenNIC Tier 1 server is significantly different. You should ask the mailing list for advice.

OpenDNS is a simple addition to the BIND configuration file to inform your name server of the new Top-Level Domains (TLDs) administered by OpenNIC. What this does, basically, is set your server back to the old days when that file was a cache of pointers to the root servers. BIND these days just uses that cache as a list of servers to query at startup for up-to-date root lists, but we don't have to do that.

Note: In any place in the information below where you would normally see an IP number, those numbers have been replaced with a link to the page of Public Name Servers. Please see this list to choose the appropriate server for your use.

You will also need to join the Announcements list (or join the Discussion list) so you'll get notified when we add new Tier 1 servers, so you can add them to the list of masters on your name server. The more widespread we get with our Tier 1 servers, the less susceptible we are to a disruption due to a network outage anywhere.

And, for the curious, here's an example tld-root file after we've merged the OpenNIC changes into it. And here is the perl script which does it (run nightly from ns0.opennic.glue's crontab). It uses the other files in the cron directory as inputs in merging the registrars data.

Most Unix systems put the BIND 8 configuration file at either /etc/named.conf (as most Linux distributions do) or ar /var/named/named.conf (as the bind8 port installer for OpenBSD does).

In the named.conf, you should have a block that looks like this:

zone "." in
{
	type hint;
	file "root.cache";
};
									

Change it to look like this (you can have from 1 to many entries in the "master" section; we recommend at least 3 Tier 1 servers):

zone "." in
{
	type slave;
	file "tld-root";
	masters { [server IP number]; [server IP number]; [server IP number]; };
};
									

Most Unix systems put the BIND 4 configuration file at either /etc/named.boot (as most Linux distributions do) or ar /var/named/named.boot (as the default install for OpenBSD does).

In the named.boot, you should have a line that looks like this:

cache			.		root.cache
									

Change it to look like this (please choose the nearest Tier 1 server for this):

secondary		.		[server IP number]		tld-root
									

Instructions provided by Alan Hodgson, .geek hostnaster.

1) Change into your dnscache root/servers directory.

	# cd /service/dnscache/root/servers
								

2) Replace your root servers file (root/servers/@) with the IP numbers of the OpenNIC Tier 1 servers, obtained by using dnsq to query the Tier 0 IP number (this step can be done manually, as well).

	# cp -f @ /tmp/@.saved
	# dnsq ns . [Server IP number] | grep -iv ns0.opennic.glue \
	  | awk '{ if (/^additional/) print $5}' > /tmp/@.new
	# cat /tmp/@.new
								

3) If it looks okay (i.e. a list of IP addresses), replace the file.

	# mv -f /tmp/@.new @
								

4) Restart dnscache

	# svc -t /service/dnscache
								

5) Verify that it's working

	# dnsip www.opennic.glue
								

Contributed by Michael Patrick.

• 1) Bring up the DNS Administrator from Administrative Tools...
• 2) Bring up the properties of the DNS Server
• 3) Go to the "Root Hints" tab
• 4) Remove the root server entries
• 5) Replace them with the Tier 1 servers from here.
• 6) Stop and Start the DNS service
• 7) If needed, clear and refresh your view of the cache and you should see .glue
• 8) try it out on http://www.opennic.glue.

My C:\WINNT\system32\dns\cache.dns file after modification (I would recommend keeping a copy of your file in case something bad happens to it). [And keep in mind that server IPs can change.]

	@                       NS      ns1.opennic.glue.
	ns1.opennic.glue        A       157.238.46.24
	@                       NS      ns2.opennic.glue.
	ns2.opennic.glue	A       209.104.33.250
	@                       NS      ns3.opennic.glue.
	ns3.opennic.glue	A       209.104.63.249
	@                       NS      ns4.opennic.glue.
	ns4.opennic.glue	A       130.94.168.216
	@                       NS      ns5.opennic.glue.
	ns5.opennic.glue	A       209.21.75.53
	@                       NS      ns6.opennic.glue.
	ns6.opennic.glue	A       64.114.34.119
	@                       NS      ns7.opennic.glue.
	ns7.opennic.glue	A       207.6.128.246
	@                       NS      ns8.opennic.glue.
	ns8.opennic.glue	A       167.216.255.199
	@                       NS	ns9.opennic.glue.
	ns9.opennic.glue.	A       62.208.181.95
	@                       NS	ns10.opennic.glue.
	ns10.opennic.glue.	A       216.87.153.98
	@                       NS	ns11.opennic.glue.
	ns11.opennic.glue.	A       216.178.136.116