| # GnuDIP Release 2.3.5 - README File

This is GnuDIP Release 2.3.5.

The GnuDIP software implements a Dynamic IP DNS service. It provides clients with a static DNS name even if their IP address is dynamically assigned.

GnuDIP is written in Perl.

GnuDIP has two main parts on the server side:

- a daemon that listens for client requests and
- a web interface that is used as the administration tool and as the user's tool to manage their own account.

A client which works with both Linux/UNIX and Windows is also provided.

GnuDIP is released under the GPL. Please see the file `COPYING` included in this distribution for more information.

The client Perl script, for Linux/UNIX, may be found in the directory:

> gnudip/client/UNIX/.

The directory above has a tar ball for the latest release, and a directory which is just the unpacked tar ball which you can browse through.

Using the client with Linux/UNIX is described in the file `gnudip/client/UNIX/gdipc/CLIENT.html`.

The same client Perl script, but with minor changes to adapt it to the Windows environment, may be found in the directory:

> gnudip/client/Windows/.

The directory above has a Windows self-extracting zip executable file and a directory which is just the expanded zip file which you can browse through.

To use this software you must first install ActivePerl. This software is a free port of Perl to Windows

Using the client with Windows is described in the file `gnudip/client/Windows/gdipc/CLIENT.html`.

A version of the Windows client package containing enough files from ActivePerl to run stand alone may be found in the directory:

> gnudip/client/Windows_standalone/.

More specifically, the requirements are:

- the base Perl Language system
- the `nsupdate` command from either BIND 8 or BIND 9
- the `sendmail` command from Sendmail or the clone program provided by Sendmail replacements such as Exim, qmail or Postfix.

More specifically you need Perl version 5.6.0 or later. You can use Perl 5.005 if you are prepared to install a "dummy" `warnings.pm` file. This is explained in `INSTALL.html`.

To use secret key rather than IP address access control for dynamic DNS you may also want the `dnskeygen` command from BIND 8 or the `dnssec-keygen` command from BIND 9, to generate input files for nsupdate, and probably the key values in them.

Although not required, GnuDIP will run a bit faster if you install the Perl Digest-MD5 module.

In order to use MySQL rather than the Linux/UNIX file system for Web Tool configuration and user information, you will also need:

- the MySQL database management software
- the Perl DBI module
- the DBI MySQL driver

In order to use PostreSQL rather than the Linux/UNIX file system for Web Tool configuration and user information, you will also need:

- the PostreSQL database management software
- the Perl DBI module
- the DBI PostgreSQL driver

If you have Linux, OpenBSD or such, Perl (including the DBI module), BIND and Sendmail will probably be available as options from your installation CD. You may need to obtain and install the rest.

Read `INSTALL.html` for instructions on installing GnuDIP.

Changes since Release 2.1.2 are discussed in the file `release.html`.

The protocol used between the client and the update server is described in the file gnudip/html/protocol.html.

This package includes a bare bones version of GnuDIP with no database or web tool. There is a single configuration file, which includes the list of host names and their passwords.