"host" settings

[mnmclockman]

I am 100% new to Kubuntu & Linux.
I tried to set up mail to receive and get a "host not found" error. I don't know what to enter in Mail Setup for "host". I assumed it was my pop address for my ISP, which is pop.dftwildblue.com, in my case. This did not work. Tried other guesses, and nothing worked.

SECOND, I tried to connect to Net in browser, to "google.com" and got a "host not found" error there too.

Is there possibly some initial configuration for Kubuntu in general that I have missed? Or, if not, can you help solve my problem.

Thanks very much.

[askrieger]

Re: "host" settings

That sounds like a DNS, "Domain Name Server" problem. Use konqueror to find a file called /etc/resolv.conf. It should have some entries that look like

search your.isp.com
nameserver 192.168.1.2
nameserver 192.168.1.3

But these are not real entries. Your file should have the domain name of your Internet Service Provider and the Internet Protocal (IP) addresses of her Domain Name Servers. The DNS servers take a verbal hostname and change it into 4 (or 6) number IP address.

If your /etc/resolv.conf file does not look like this, you will have to call the tech support line of your Internet Service Provider. Then you must keep saying "Please let me talk to your supervisor." to anyone who says "Huh?" when you ask for the "IP addresses of your primary and secondary DNS servers." Also ask for the "search host name". Do not mention Linux. If you do, they will tell you that they only support Windoze, but they do have a Mac expert who comes in on alternate Tuesdays.

After you get the two sets of four numbers that you need. You can enter them in /etc/resolv.conf file, with any text editor that you like, e.g. "kdesu kate /etc/resolv.conf" by right clicking on the desktop and then clicking run command, or "sudo nano /etc/resolv.conf" from a konsole.