Project: -OpenNIC Whois Server-

Goal:
- To modify an existing python based whois server to be fully functional whois server with a web interface.

Team:
- admin: Julian
- lead: Julian
- programming: Julian
- testing 1 (UNIX/Linux/BSD): Julian
- testing 2 (Mac OSX): TBA
- testing 3 (Windows): Julian

References: http://www.generic-nic.net/sheets/practical/xml-registry-en

Modifications has been completed to the backend MySQL script. These changes have been tested, and confirmed to be operating. The database creation scripts have been created and tested on Debian 4.0. The installer script has been half completed.

I now commence work on the PHP interface for the server.

Have finished the CLI interface to create entries in the whois database. Code is below(feel free to update it!);

###############################
#OpenNIC Whois Updater Utility#
###############################
#This program comes with out any warranty
#It is designed to help populate the General whois server database with new entries
#View the license aggreement in $PROGRAMHOME/license

#!/bin/sh

username="root"
password=""
host="localhost"

clear
echo "OpenNICs whoisserver databse entry"
echo ""
echo "Please enter Domainname:"
read domain
echo "Please enter creation date:"
read created
echo "Please enter expiration date:"
read expire
echo "Please enter the first name server hostname:"
read ns1
echo "Please enter the second name server hostname:"
read ns2
echo "Please enter abuse email address:"
read abuse_email
echo "Please enter registrant firstname:"
read first
echo "Please enter registrant lastname:"
read last
echo "Please enter registrant address:"
read address
echo "Please enter reigstrants city:"
read city
echo "Please enter registrants country:"
read country
echo "Please enter registrants email address:"
read reg_email

echo "INSERT INTO domain VALUES ('','$domain','$created','$expire');" > /tmp/whois.tmp.sql
echo "INSERT INTO nameservers VALUES ('','$ns1','$ns2','$abuse_email');" >> /tmp/whois.tmp.sql
echo "INSERT INTO contactadm VALUES ('','$first','$reg_email','$address','$city','$country','$last');" >> /tmp/whois.tmp.sql

mysql -h $host -u $username -p $password nic < /tmp/whois.tmp.sql

rm /tmp/whois.tmp.sql

The end plan for the CLI util will be a fully menu driven bash script that will allow the user to fully manipulate the whois database, including modifying the configuration of the whois server itself. I.E add more fields to the database, extend the output of the whois server (by this I mean add more fields to the output, like if a phone number is sudden required to be shown). I believe this will make the whois server more flexible to the user.

Client whois interaction with this server will be done 1 of 2 ways.

The first is with the default whois client. By passing the -h option you can tell the whois client to ask a specific server for the whois information.

By far the better option is to use a specific whois client called jwhois[0]. This whois client uses a config file by which you can specify the whois server to contact determined by the TLD whois information requested. By using this client one is able to use multiple whois server for each TLD. This gives us great flexibility to incorporate a whois server for each OpenNIC TLD. I have tested this client, and it is trivial to use and works like a charm!

Instructions on howto configure this software will be released when the whois server is complete!

0 - http://www.gnu.org/software/jwhois/

The backend is now half complete. I used Hebbs already developed whois site, and modified it to work with the new whois database. It is now live at http://whois.geek. I am now working on the usability of the backend, so the user can manipulate the whois DB easier.

Good news is the whois server is functioning correctly. More details to come!