Novell LINUX ENTERPRISE DESKTOP 10 SP2 - DEPLOYMENT GUIDE 08-05-2008 Deployment Manual page 841

/etc/resolv.conf
This file is used to keep track of the name server and domain you are
currently using. It can be modified manually or automatically adjusted
by YaST or DHCP. Automatic adjustment is preferable. However, make
sure that this file has the following structure and all network addresses
and domain names are correct:
search fully_qualified_domain_name
nameserver ipaddress_of_nameserver
This file can contain more than one name server address, but at least
one of them must be correct to provide name resolution to your host. If
needed, adjust this file using the YaST DNS and Hostname module.
If your network connection is handled via DHCP, enable DHCP to
change hostname and name service information by selecting Change
Hostname via DHCP and Update Name Servers and Search List via
DHCP in the YaST DNS and Hostname module.
/etc/nsswitch.conf
This file tells Linux where to look for name service information. It should
look like this:
...
hosts: files dns
networks: files dns
...
The dns entry is vital. It tells Linux to use an external name server.
Normally, these entries are automatically made by YaST, but it never
hurts to check.
If all the relevant entries on the host are correct, let your system admin-
istrator check the DNS server configuration for the correct zone infor-
mation. If you have made sure that the DNS configuration of your host
and the DNS server are correct, proceed with checking the configuration
of your network and network device.
4c If your system cannot establish a connection to a network server and you
have excluded name service problems from the list of possible culprits, check
the configuration of your network card.
Common Problems and Their Solutions 825