Self Hosted - Self-hosting your services. @lemmy.ml Lanie Carmelo @caneandable.social 4w ago

Hi everyone! How are you all doing tonight? I just had a frustrating experience trying to set up a free #domain or #subdomain for my #SelfHosted services. Unfortunately, I can't use my

Hi everyone! How are you all doing tonight? I just had a frustrating experience trying to set up a free #domain or #subdomain for my #SelfHosted services. Unfortunately, I can't use my laniecarmelo.tech domain because its current configuration doesn't allow me to add subdomains.
I discovered EU.org, which offers free domains, and decided to give it a try. However, they require you to have authoritative #DNS #nameservers before requesting a domain. I tried using #Cloudflare, but it wasn't authoritative. Then I looked into Hostry.com, Hurricane Electric DNS, and FreeDNS.
Hostry requires you to add DNS records for your domain before using their service—but how can I do that when my domain doesn’t exist yet? 🤦‍♀️ As for FreeDNS and Hurricane Electric, both have inaccessible #CAPTCHAs on their registration forms with no audio alternatives! 😡
At this point, I'm so frustrated that I've decided to take a break from figuring this out. If anyone has tips for setting up a free domain or knows of accessible DNS services, I’d really appreciate your advice! 🙏
#Accessibility #TechFrustration #WebHosting #BlindTech #blind #DisabilityInTech #tech #Technology #SelfHosting
@selfhost @selfhosting @selfhosted @mastoblind @main

34 comments

What's with all the hashtags in the title?
- Probably a Mastodon user
- @fmstrat Not sure what you mean. I included hashtags in my post, but there was no title to it or anything.
  
  @fmstrat Ah yeah just noticed you're on Lemmy. Yeah I'm posting from Mastodon.
This seems overly complicated. Why not just get a domain on cloud flare for $10? Are free domains even a thing outside github pages
- @ocean Honestly, I didn't know cloudflare domains were that cheap. Also, yes, there's eu.org and a couple other ways to get free domains.
  
  iirc, cloudflare domains are literally at cost.
  
  I’ve only hosted public sites for a year or so but cloudflare, cloudflare proxy, pointing at my servers is very easy :)
  
  .coms are the cheapest at 10.44 I think
- @ocean @RareBird15 Might want to read the fine prints. Cloudflare will require you to use their nameservers. You can't choose the DNS provider you wish. Maybe fine, maybe not, but has to be taken into account, I was too often in threads where people complain to late that their domain is now tied to Cloudflare nameservers.
  
  I don’t see why that’s a problem, I want to use their security features and proxy :)
@RareBird15 @selfhost @selfhosting @selfhosted @mastoblind what exactly do you mean? Cloudflare will be authoritative once you host your DNS zone with them. A dig for SOA RR shows this in my case

ANSWER SECTION: talpa.ie. 1800 IN SOA heidi.ns.cloudflare.com. dns.cloudflare.com

I'd stay away from eu.org free domain names though and get a .com for roughly 12 dollars, even less in the first year...
- You can get different LTD for cheaper too
  
  My .work is 6 a month
  
  I'm pretty sure he means 12$/year. 6$ per month is pretty expensive for a domain.
@RareBird15 @selfhost @selfhosting @selfhosted @mastoblind @main "but how can I do that when my domain doesn’t exist yet?" I am not sure to understand your specific context, but do note that you can configure any nameserver to be authoritative on any fictional name you want, and make sure it replies properly. It doesn't matter (won't be used by anyone) until the *delegation* (from parent) is being set, which happens at the registrar where you define nameservers for the domain.
@RareBird15 @selfhost @selfhosting @selfhosted @mastoblind @main desec.io has an audio captcha
- @RareBird15 @selfhost @selfhosting @selfhosted @mastoblind @main Also, having to add NS entries before registering the domain is the usual way. Most registrars even check that on registration, I'd say
  
  @jpl @RareBird15 @selfhost @selfhosting @selfhosted @mastoblind @main But technically you can totally register a domain without nameservers. Or later remove nameservers totally from a registered domain. Registration and resolution are separate things, even if they intersect, at least at the registrar when setting nameservers (sent to the registry which in turn publish them)
@RareBird15 @selfhost @selfhosting @selfhosted @mastoblind @main
I'm assuming by "current configuration" you have a DNS host that doesn't allow adding NS records? One thing you might be able to do is create records like:

host1.subdomain.laniecarmelo.tech A 1.2.3.4
host2.subdomain.laniecarmelo.tech A 1.2.3.5

In my DNS host I can create a host1.subdomain A record without creating an actual subdomain (e.g. creating a subdomain.laniecarmelo.tech NS record).
- @virtuous_sloth @selfhost @selfhosting @selfhosted @mastoblind @main No, my situation is weird. My domain is hosted on Porkbun.com but its nameservers point to Vultr.com, where my WordPress install is hosted on a friend's server. Porkbun won't let me edit DNS records or do much of anything with my domain unless I change back to the default nameservers, which would break my WordPress setup.
  
  Sorry, what’s preventing you from adding the subdomains in the Vultr DNS?
  
  @RareBird15 @selfhost @selfhosting @selfhosted @mastoblind @main
  ah, gotcha. I do hope that you find a solution.
  
  I don't use porkbun so I can't guide you in detail. But look for "glue records". Some will just call this nameservers, ns record, or some other confusing and ambiguous lingo (like GoDaddy....). Glue records are separate from rest of the auth DNS servers. Even though you are essentially doing an A record.
  
  So if you have example.com on porkbun, and auth nameservers for this same domain is going to be elsewhere, you can set glue records. Like..
  
  ns1.example.com ns2.example.com
  
  With specific IPs like 123.123.123.123
  
  This will allow you to essentially do the first step and not end up in a cyclic problem of one requiring the other.
  
  I assume this is what you're referring to as the problem.
  
  @RareBird15 @virtuous_sloth @selfhost @selfhosting @selfhosted @mastoblind @main There is nothing "weird" in having 2 separate companies, one for registration, one for hosting/DNS provider. IF your nameservers are Vultr.com ones currently, this is where you should edit your zone. You can only edit records at your DNS provider, where the domain is registered has no influence on how it gets resolved.
  
  @RareBird15 @virtuous_sloth @selfhost @selfhosting @selfhosted @mastoblind @main Then in this case you may want to ask them to add a subdomain a record for you at Vultr that way it doesn't break your current setup. However, I don't think that nameservers actually have anything to do with WordPress, just your A record pointing to the correct IP address, and also any CNAME records if any. It just matters that your records match at the new nameservers (for A records anyway). HTH!
I can recomment OVH for domains and DNS hosting, I use them and have not had any issues setting up custom DNS records. Also they have an API that will allow you to get certificates with certbot and lets encrypt, even a wildcard.

34 comments