How do I remove %rpemail% SOA from zone template?

[karom43]

Hi all

I would like to have the main server contact to be my primary contact to receive alerts but not have it appear in the public SOA records.

So in the Zone template editor, how can I remove the %rpemail% variable? If I delete it, the template file throws an error -



Any suggestions or alternatives please?

Cheers
K

 

[cPanelLauren]

You cannot remove this from the zone file. It's an RFC requirement, and must be in the zone file's SOA record, you can read the RFCs that cover this: RFC 1034 - Domain names - concepts and facilities and RFC 1035 - Domain names - implementation and specification

 

[karom43]

@cPanelLauren - thank you for letting me know about that. Can I then use a different email address than the main cPanel contact email?

 

[cPanelLauren]

I don't believe you can, that information is pulled directly from what's input here: Basic WebHost Manager Setup | cPanel & WHM Documentation

 

[PeteS]

I don't believe you can, that information is pulled directly from what's input here: Basic WebHost Manager Setup | cPanel & WHM Documentation

I'm having the same issue/question...

1- I was going to replace %rpemail% with a hard-coded value (hostmaster.mydomain.com), but will that be allowed in the WHM template editor? If not, can I hard-code it in a file, and will that cause issues and/or be overwritten at some point?

2- I would like control of these vars, especially %ttl%, %nsttl%, and %rpemail%. What can you tell me about that?

3- Why does cPanel use the [email protected] for the RNAME instead of the recommended user.domain.tld format? And why use the server contact instead of hostmaster.example.com (of course that would require it be valid, or sent to root if [email protected] isn't valid)? RFC 2142: Mailbox Names for Common Services, Roles and Functions

 

[quietFinn]

1- I was going to replace %rpemail% with a hard-coded value (hostmaster.mydomain.com), but will that be allowed in the WHM template editor? If not, can I hard-code it in a file, and will that cause issues and/or be overwritten at some point?

Yes you can replace that with a hard-coded value.

 

[PeteS]

Yes you can replace that with a hard-coded value.

Thanks, I hadn't tested yet when I posted. It works.

@cPanelLauren Still want to know if/when cPanel overwrites template files, or if editing makes a .local file of something.

 

[quietFinn]

cPanel does not overwrite Zone Templates, I've used edited templates for years and they never change.
Instructions here:

Edit Zone Templates | cPanel & WHM Documentation

This interface allows you to edit the templates that cPanel & WHM uses to create DNS zone files for new domains.

docs.cpanel.net

 

[PeteS]

@cPanelLauren I'd be interested in your thoughts on Qs 2 & 3 above. Thanks!

 

[cPRex]

@PeteS - Lauren doesn't hang out here much anymore, so you'll have to settle for my thoughts!

2 - Can you let me know what you mean when you say "control" ? What behavior are you looking for specifically?

3 - This one I'm not sure on. I'll see if I can find out more.

 

[quietFinn]

2- I would like control of these vars, especially %ttl%, %nsttl%, and %rpemail%. What can you tell me about that?

I have no idea where those variables come from, but you can replace any or all of them with hard-coded values in the Zone templates.

 

[cPRex]

For question 3, that's just something that happens in the interface. If you check the zone file itself you'll see the "@" is replaced with "."

 

[PeteS]

@PeteS - Lauren doesn't hang out here much anymore, so you'll have to settle for my thoughts!

I wondered about that... and I almost tagged you also, but that would have been annoying.

I have no idea where those variables come from, but you can replace any or all of them with hard-coded values in the Zone templates.

By "control" I meant knowledge of where they are set/come from. Like how %rpemail% is set by the contact email. I assumed the twp TTLs are hard-coded somewhere on cPanel but wanted to ask if there was any reliable way to modify that. I do know they can be changed in the templates, but when I see a token I immediately want to know what connects to it.

For question 3, that's just something that happens in the interface. If you check the zone file itself you'll see the "@" is replaced with "."

Ah, ok. I should have checked that. Still, "hostmaster" is recommended. Maybe an option to use that default instead of the contact email in the future. Not a big enough deal for me to open a feature request. Just a thought.

I assume we can use either format in the templates? (host.domain.tld or [email protected])

 

[cPRex]

If you're putting it directly in the template, I'd stick with the email.address.tld format juuuuuuuuust in case.

 

[quietFinn]

I assume we can use either format in the templates? (host.domain.tld or [email protected])

Just because you can doesn't mean you should, if you look in RFCs and other documents they all say something like:

4.2 The RNAME Value
The RNAME is to publish a mail address of a person or role account dealing with this zone with the "@" converted to a ".". The best practice is to define (and maintain) a dedicated mail alias "hostmaster" [RFC 2142] for DNS operations.

That's in:

Recommendations for DNS SOA Values

ripe-203: This document gives recommendations on which values to use for the SOA resource record of small, stable DNS zones to aid novice administrators and to contribute to DNS stability and efficiency.

www.ripe.net

 

[PeteS]

If you're putting it directly in the template, I'd stick with the email.address.tld format juuuuuuuuust in case.

Ok, hostmaster.domain.tld it is.

I will do a test both ways and see what up in the actual account.db file, and report back.

 

[PeteS]

Just because you can doesn't mean you should, if you look in RFCs and other documents they all say something like:

That's in:

Recommendations for DNS SOA Values

ripe-203: This document gives recommendations on which values to use for the SOA resource record of small, stable DNS zones to aid novice administrators and to contribute to DNS stability and efficiency.

www.ripe.net

Absolutely.

The point was in which format it goes into the template, since cPanel does some translation apparently, but the end result will be hostmaster.domain.tld in the actual record.

 

[PeteS]

If you're putting it directly in the template, I'd stick with the email.address.tld format juuuuuuuuust in case.

Confirming: Using the format hostmaster.domain.tld in a template results in it showing as [email protected] in DNS Zone Manager, but the actual record in /var/named/ domain.tld.db is still hostmaster.domain.tld and of course propagates to nameservers as such.

I didn't bother with the "@" format in a template because, why...?

Thanks for the help.