Temporary activate other nameserver

Rocky Linux General
1

On a ipv6 only server I want to temporary activate another nameserver who offers DNS64/NAT64 to bridge connections to ipv4 addresses.

I only need this connection to backup a SVN repository from svn.code.sf.net for which unfortunately no aaaa record exists (why?!!)

I solved the issue by changing the content of /etc/resolv.conf from within the shellscript that does the backup job. After the download it changes the nameserver entries back to the normal configuration.

It runs now with a “sleep 10” after the change which succeeded in all my tests. But I would prefer to signal the new values to the responsible daemon.

Will that be the NetworkManager.service? Or what is the best method for my demand?

OS: Rocky Linux release 9.3 (Blue Onyx)

Thanks for your advice!

2

Found this Doc with instruction on changing dns configuration via nmcli
https://docs.rockylinux.org/guides/network/basic_network_configuration/#dns-resolution
which seem to be the correct way (other than changing the file /etc/resolv.conf directly)
Will give it a try tomorrow…

3

Yes, that is usually the way; NetworkManager manages the /etc/resolv.conf
NetworkManager can be configured to not touch the /etc/resolv.conf, but then one needs some other way to manage it.

Note though that the /etc/nsswitch.conf has probably files dns for hosts. That is, the name resolution reads first /etc/hosts and after that uses the resolver (if necessary). The /etc/hosts has by default only the localhost (127.0.0.1 and ::1). You could have that one “AAAA” in there, if only this host needs that one (static) address.

4

I thought about that before implementing the change of /etc/resolv.conf, but I suppose the NAT64 service which I use as bridge to IPv4 creates the fake IPv6 address on demand. So it will only be there for the while where I call the connection via the DNS64 service.

5

It worked :slight_smile:

Here the recipe for activating the “Public NAT64 service” (https://www.nat64.net/) on my Rocky Linux 9 server in the Hetzner Cloud (cax11)

nmcli con mod 'System eth0' ipv6.dns '2a00:1098:2c::1,2a01:4f8:c2c:123f::1,2a00:1098:2b::1'
nmcli con down 'System eth0' && nmcli con up 'System eth0'

and back to normal configuration:

nmcli con mod 'System eth0' ipv6.dns '2a01:4ff:ff00::add:1,2a01:4ff:ff00::add:2'
nmcli con down 'System eth0' && nmcli con up 'System eth0'
1 Like
6

Instead of modifying the existing connection, how about creating a second connection, and then switch between them?

man nmcli

heading “connection management commands”

1 Like
7

Thanks for the hint! Yes, that looks like the ideal method for my case :smiley: I will work on it and post the improved recipe when ready and tested.

8

Done and works like a charm! Thanks again for pointing me to this improved method! :hugs:

Create a new connection with settings from Hetzners default

# nmcli con clone 'System eth0' nat64
System eth0 (5fb06bd0-0bb0-7ffb-45f1-d6edd65f3e03) cloned as nat64 (4ca97012-e022-4572-bac6-14e6c318dc72).

Modify new connection to use DNS64/NAT64 from “Public NAT64 service” (https://www.nat64.net/)
# nmcli con mod nat64 ipv6.dns '2a00:1098:2c::1,2a01:4f8:c2c:123f::1,2a00:1098:2b::1' connection.autoconnect no

Switch to new connection

# nmcli -p con up nat64 ifname eth0
Connection successfully activated (D-Bus active path: /org/freedesktop/NetworkManager/ActiveConnection/7)

Switch back to default

# nmcli -p con up 'System eth0' ifname eth0
Connection successfully activated (D-Bus active path: /org/freedesktop/NetworkManager/ActiveConnection/8)
9

Now you have two connections for that one interface. If you did clone all settings, then both have connection.autoconnect: yes. Which one do you expect to take over when the system boots?

Perhaps this “temporary” connection should not try to activate on boot? connection.autoconnect: no
Alternatively, tune the connection.autoconnect-priority of them to make the regular “win”.

1 Like
10

Thanks for your review and warning! I now fixed it on the machine and in the solutions post.

11

It was great to see the command lines used in the test.