The Lost Name

Not everything comes from DNS

The situation

A teammate swears the build box at `10.10.10.5` is up — but `shellquest.local` won't resolve for anyone. Before you blame DNS, remember: DNS isn't the only thing that turns names into numbers.

A hostname becomes an IP through the system **resolver**, which (by default) checks `/etc/hosts` first and *then* DNS. So a name can resolve with no DNS involved at all.

🔑`getent hosts <name>` resolves the way real programs do (hosts + DNS). `dig` talks only to DNS. Comparing them is your first superpower.

Two ways a name resolves

1
program
wants an IP
2
/etc/hosts
checked first
3
DNS
only if not found

The default order is files → dns (set in /etc/nsswitch.conf).

Why it matters in production: In real incidents, half of 'DNS is down' is a stale /etc/hosts entry or the wrong resolver. Proving where the answer comes from saves hours.

Objective

Prove shellquest.local isn't in DNS, then make the box reachable by name.

learner@nameforge

The Nameforge lab is live. Type `help` to see what this lab understands.

Use the chips below to get started — then go off-script.

learner@nameforge:~$

Evidence

○Resolved it the system's way (getent hosts)
○Asked DNS directly (dig)
○Added a host entry to /etc/hosts
○Confirmed it resolves now

Next: Run `getent hosts shellquest.local` — it returns nothing, so the system can't resolve it.

Hints

Stuck? Reveal hints one at a time — the validation panel already tells you what evidence is missing.