Hi guys, sorry about my ignorance, but here I go. I have a confusion about what (FQDN) really is. I will like to be able to access my virtual servers/websites from the internet not only on my local network. Do I have to buy a domain name before I install Virtualmin or do I just make up a name? I know that I would have to eventually buy a domain. At the moment Im just using no-ip.org as my DSN Service.
Example:
I have Ubuntu 10.04 install
if I type: hostname -f at my terminal I get: hostname is ns1
if I type: domainname -y at my terminal I get: Local domain name not set
if I type: domainname -A at my terminal I get: Sony.home ns1.home new-host-5.home
Do I just make a name like ns1.home.com, do I use the no-ip service or do I buy a domain?
I also read that, A common error is to leave the “.” at the end off. Example: ns1.home.com. is correct ns1.home.com is incorrect (without the dot at the end) how true is this?
You would need a domainname pointing to your server.
Your servers name would have to be resolvable and to be a FQDN which has the form of something.mydomain.tld (I called mine: ns1.domain.tld)
So when you have bought the domain you will need to register the NS, I suggest buying from Namecheap as it’s really easy to do nameserver registration.
You need to register ns1.domain.tld and ns2.domain.tld with IP
First you need to register your nameserver at that registrar.
This is very different than adjusting your NS records in the zonefile.
So check and see if its possible to register your nameserver at 1on1
That means you enter
ns1.yourdomain.tld xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx (xxx=IP)
ns2.yourdomain.tld xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx (xxx=IP)
and then wait for propagation so your server can become resolvable.
Ok so first register my nameserver at my registrar. before continuing installing Virtualmin? and that should get riff of the error:
Primary nameserver cannot be resolved from the rest of the Internet : Host ns1.domain.tld not found: 3(NXDOMAIN)
Ill go ahead and do that and then report back here.
I dont know If I should of mention this before, but Im doing all of this Virtualmin installation on a Home Server Im building. I also have a MS WHS that I have not use in a while but thats a different story lol.
See, I do have a hosting plan with a real domain (xtremehangout,com @ ixwebhosting,com) with the whole cPanel and all that, but I have never done this before on a localhost.
The very fist time I did the installation on my home server, I did manage to install Virtualmin using my xtremehangout,com domain name and it went through, but I dont want to use that domain for this local server Im building.
Maybe thats why I didnt get this error before, because I used a real domain name and not that made up ns1.domain.tld one.
Ok beautiful, thx Ronald for clearing that out for me. I’ll let u know how it goes. The point is that it has to resolve to a real domain or at least to the localhost right ? I got u lol
yes, a real domain pointing to your external IP.
Then from the router the port 80 and other services should be directed to your server or you make your server a DMZ in the router so that the server is directly visible to the WAN.
It should pick it up but just in case:
Virtualmin - System Settings - Virtualmin Configuration - Networking Settings:
Default virtual server IP address = your LAN IP
Default IP address for DNS records = your WAN IP
You can change which domain is default at any time. Apache just reads the coonfig and whatever is on top of the virtualhost section, it will serve that one as the default.
Hi Ronald, with your help, I have manage to install Virtualmin using the new domain I bought (Have not register the NS or pointed my domainname to my server but that’s next) Im still running test, and I guess I will have to create an email address too.
I did get this error:
Default IP address is set to 192.168.x.xx, but the detected external address is actually xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx. This is typically the result of being behind a NAT firewall, and should be corrected on the module configuration page.
But got it fixed with your last post:
Virtualmin - System Settings - Virtualmin Configuration - Networking Settings:
Default virtual server IP address = your LAN IP
Default IP address for DNS records = your WAN IP
A bit off topic and on another note…
Now I have to create my first Virtual Server, If I remember correct from my first installation, no matter how many Virtual Servers I create, when I access the server from the net, I always get send to the first Virtaual Server, But i guess I’ll have to create another topic for that, not to go off topic here.
OK Thx, I thought I could use this as a real webhost lol
Oh well, so far, I have not been able to register my nameserver at 1&1, it wont work, I get an error:
The domain name is invalid. Please use ASCII only, other characters á, á, ã, ä are not supported.
I used this form:
ns1.domain.tld xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx
ns2.domain.tld xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx
If I use: 1&1 name server (which is theirs) then I can change the, IP Address (A-Record) to my external IP.
DO you think Namecheap, would allow me to add my own nameserver? I just bought this domain yesterday, maybe I cancel with 1&1 and go with Namecheap.
When I do a DNS Check this is what I get:
Domain name : domain.com
IP Address (A-Record) : xxx.xx.xxx.xx
Name server 1: ns53.1&1.com
Name server 2: ns54.1&1.com
Mail server 1: mx01.1&1.com, 10
Mail server 2: mx00.1&1.com, 10
Is there any advantages or disadvantages about using the nameserver, v/s the way I have it setup using the IP Address (A-Record) ? I will try to change it over to namecheap if i can.
BTW I have now two domains pointed to my server and they are working, There is lots of other settings i have to go thru like setting up the mail server, but Il get to that as soon as I can.
You can use the A and MX records of existing zone at the registrar with no problem.
The disadvantage is you will have to change all records and when you move a) server or b) IP for whatever reason in the future, you would have to change it for all domains.
Now it is controllable, but what if you host 20 domains or more? When you have the nameserver, you would just need to a) adjust the IP in virtualmin or b) change 2 IP’s at the registrar and all is set.
From an administrative point of view, one would want to be in control of his nameserver. If you do not plan to host more than 1 or 2 domains, by all means, keep the records at the registrar.
Unless of course you want to learn more about hosting and administer Linux server
I see what your saying, and I am very hungry to learn as much as possible about hosting and administer Linux server. I gonna try to contact this 1&1 ppl today see if i can cancel with them and move the domain to namecheap, after all, all I paid for the domain was a $1.00 lol
Ill tell them I administer my own Linux Server and I want to be able to register my nameservers, see what they say
I use only this forum from virtualmin.
You could ask 1&1 if they can register the nameservers for you. Else get a cheap “whatever.info” domain at namecheap.
they offer also SSL certificate for $2
ok time for an update. So I called 1&1 and the don’t do nameserver, so I canceled and bought www.boricuavps.com from namecheap. I wish, I would of read all this before I installed Virtualmin, I would of not make all of this mistakes.
In short, ns1.domain.tld can not be a nameserver because it does not exist. (its what i understand)
My first mistake was at Virtualmin installation. I choose a made up name, literary a made up name for the server… ns1.domain.tld exactly as that with the dumm ass .tld and all. No wonder why I cant register my nameserver at any place. SO here is Question number one:
Is it save to say that: ONE SHOULD OWN A REAL DOMAIN NAME BEFORE THE INSTALLATION OF VIRTUALMIN? or Im I even more confuse then when I started lol
is there a way to solved this (change the nameserver of my server to match the domain I just bought) without having to do a new installation?
Oh Well, at least now I have a REAL domain name @ namecheap. And If I have to start fresh Ihave no problem because all this testing is been done in a extra hard drive I had fore my laptop and I can always format the drive, re-install Unbuntu 10.04 and webmin then go from there.