[syslog-ng] Bug: Numeric digits stripped from source hostname and time mangled.

[Christopher Cashell]

Evan Rempel did thus speak on 4/9/2008 2:39 PM:
> Christopher Cashell wrote:
>> It appears that Syslog-NG 2.0.x (tested with 2.0.9) will mangle 
>> originating source hostname when it begins numerically hostnames, and 
>> this also causes errors with date/time handling.
> 
> The RFC specifies that host names can not start with a digit.
> If you have control over these host names, you should change them.
> If not, then you have to rely on applications handling invalid data, and
> thankfully syslog-ng is fairly good at accommodating vendors shortcomings.

That was actually amended in a later RFC (RFC1123):

  2.  GENERAL ISSUES

   This section contains general requirements that may be applicable
   to all application-layer protocols.

   2.1  Host Names and Numbers

    The syntax of a legal Internet host name was specified in RFC-952
    [DNS:4].  One aspect of host name syntax is hereby changed: the
    restriction on the first character is relaxed to allow either a
    letter or a digit.  Host software MUST support this more liberal
    syntax.

    Host software MUST handle host names of up to 63 characters and
    SHOULD handle host names of up to 255 characters.

    Whenever a user inputs the identity of an Internet host, it SHOULD
    be possible to enter either (1) a host domain name or (2) an IP
    address in dotted-decimal ("#.#.#.#") form.  The host SHOULD check
    the string syntactically for a dotted-decimal number before
    looking it up in the Domain Name System.

Personally, I still think it's a good idea to avoid them, but in this 
case, it wasn't my call, and they are legal hostnames.

> Evan.

-- 
Christopher Cashell