[Resolvconf-devel] Bug#514411: Bug#514411: resolvconf breaks all network operations

[Mike Hommey]

On Sat, Feb 07, 2009 at 05:31:24PM +0000, Richard Kettlewell wrote:
> Thomas Hood wrote:
>>> iface eth0 inet static
>>>  address 172.17.207.12
>>>  gateway 172.17.207.1
>>>  netmask 255.255.255.0
>>
>>
>> I'll assume that interface eth0 is configured using the "ifup" command.
>>
>> Add this line to the "iface eth0" stanza in /etc/network/interfaces
>>
>>    dns-nameservers 172.17.207.1 172.17.207.18
>>
>> Then do, as root:
>>
>>   ifdown eth0
>>   ifup eth0
>>
>> Then your resolv.conf file should be correct.  Please read
>> resolvconf(8) and the README file in/usr/share/doc/resolvconf  for
>> background information.
>
> Why on earth would I want to do that?  /etc/resolv.conf has been a  
> perfectly fine way of statically configuring name servers for the last  
> few decades.
>
> resolvconf should quite simply not modify /etc/resolv.conf if it doesn't  
> know the right thing to put there.  Then this sort of problem would  
> never arise.
>
> As I said, I didn't even ask to install it.  I don't see why I should  
> jump through extra nonstandard hoops just because its author can't be  
> bothered with some simple sanity checks.

On the other hand, trying to install resolvconf on a fresh install with
a custom /etc/resolv.conf didn't result in a blank file except for
resolvconf comments here, so it looks like you met a corner case. While
it would be nice to fix corner cases, I don't think this grants release
critical status.

Mike