[wplug] domain question

[Zach Uram]

On Sun, Jul 20, 2008 at 4:55 PM, Kevin Squire <gentgeen at wikiak.org> wrote:
> On Sat, 19 Jul 2008 23:24:38 -0400
> "Zach Uram" <netrek at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> So if I sign up with Google Apps domain they give me a domain name and
>> provide the DNS servers?
>
> You can buy one from there 3rd party vendor like I did for "wikiak.org" or you can
> "bring your own" like my school did for pavcsk12.org

Hi Kevin,

Oh, I was under the impression that the $10 a year fee for signing up
with Google Apps was getting me a domain name (whichever I want that
is available) and a domain hoster (provides the DNS servers) but now
it sounds like the $10 a year only gets me the domain name and I must
provide my own hosting? Who did you buy wikiak.org from and how much
did it cost?

>> Can I make www.mydomain.org point to
>> www.otherplace.org/~me
>> and the web surfer will only see "www.mydomain.org" with Google Apps?
>
> Yep, check out http://www.wikiak.org  .. and then check out
>http://gentgeen.homelinux.org

Ok and I wold be able to set that up in Google Apps or is that done
with the 3rd party domain hoster?

>> It says it addsa calendar, gmail, etc. for my domain but what exactly
>> does that mean? So if someone sends mail to me at mydomain.org it will
>> actually be going to a Gmail mailbox? What if I want to have
>> www.mydomain.org point to a web server I am using (whether local or
>> remote) and box.mydomain.org point to my public IP of my DSL at home
>> so I can ssh into it without having to remember the ip will Google
>> Apps let me do that?
>
> Indirectly, yes.  It is all with the DNS settings. And Google uses a 3rd party to do
> the DNS stuff-- or as noted, you can continue to use your current.

Ok so my point of confusion is precisely how/where will I be doing
these changes? In some GUI on Google Apps or with a 3rd party domain
hoster. Someone said Google Apps provides you with DNS servers (domain
hosting) so that is what is confusing me because when I went to Google
Apps FAQ it seemed to indicate otherwise.

Basically right now I have a remote website www.club.cc.cmu.edu/~chaos
and I would like to get a domain so that web users will go to
www.zachuram.org (or whatever I choose)  and it will transparently be
taking them to whatever homepage I setup on www.club.cc.cmu.edu/~chaos
but they will only see www.zachuram.org in their URL bar. WIll Google
Apps let me do this or will I also need to sign up with a DNS hoster
like DynDNS to provide domain resolution? I also wanted to eventually
host my own webserver from my DSL connection at home so would Google
Apps also let me do that? I want to do this as cheaply as possible
while still getting good service. When I eventually use my own
webserver if it goes down (server crash or my DSL service loss) I
would like people visiting www.zachuram.org to automatically be sent
to www.club.cc.cmu.edu/~chaos   Is that possible? Also I noticed some
DNS hosters offer secondary DNS, is that in case your primary DNS is
lost (whether you  run them yourself or with a 3rd party hoster) the
secondary DNS would kick in so your domain would have no loss of DNS
service? Just curious. Don't think I need that now.

Zach