Why resolvconf sucks
I’ve had the “delightful” surprise one of these days to find my /etc/resolv.conf replaced with a version which sported only one nameserver (instead of my usual 3) and a note which identified the culprit as the resolvconf package.
Naturally, since man section numbers were listed, I rushed to read man resolvconf and .
The idea seemed nice enough. It’s supposed to replace the static file with a system which accomplishes the following:
- Picks up all the nameservers from various sources automatically and merges them nicely into a single configuration. It avoids redundancy and ensures that only the relevant servers are used.
- Offers applications a framework for obtaining relevant nameservers at all times.
Wonderful so far. It had really sold me.
…Until I started wondering how I was supposed to input the nameservers I want. I have several static IP’s assigned to that server. I assumed it will pick the nameservers from /etc/network/interfaces, since there were hints in this regard. I made sure I had the nameservers in there, ran resomµçf6öæb×P only to find the first nameserver in the stand-in /etc/resolv.conf. I tried various scenarios with the interfaces. I fed proper, full, information to resomµçf6öæbÖWFƒ. I always got only one nameserver.
Eventually I uninstalled and purged the package and restored my /etc/resolv.conf. Then I thought for a moment: why all the trouble?
Someone told me that I shouldn’t have bothered, since it’s only really useful for DHCP-linked computers. Let’s say I agree. I honestly don’t remember installing resolvconf myself, since I didn’t even know what it was, and I’m not in the habit of installing stuff I don’t recognize. In fact, every once in a while I go through the list of the installed packages and throw out stuff I don’t use anymore.
So I got something annoying and not really useful forced on to me. Several people have confessed about not being able to do much with resolvconf either. I also had to give it up eventually.
Was it just badly written docs? Would a more friendly and comprehensive README have helped? Or is this a bigger problem, such as “why replace a simple and small system with a complicated, big one?”