Problems with named 8.3.6-REL

I have been trying to get my local dns server running for days now
with no success. I have checked the freeBSD handbook at
www.freebsd.org and followed their instructions and all of the
files seem to be correct. I am listing the contents of such files
below:

btw all my dns files are in /etc/namedb per suggestion of the
handbook.

-----

#/etc/namedb/named.conf
#
#

zone "." {
type hint;
file "named.root";
};

zone "0.0.127.IN-ADDR.ARPA" {
type master;
file "localhost.rev";
};

zone "airea420.com" {
type master;
file "airea420.com.db";
};

-----

as far as /etc/namedb/named.root this is the system default and it
should be fine since the last root dns server update was like in
1987.

-----

#/etc/namedb/airea420.com.db
#
#

$TTL 345600

@ IN SOA turncoat.airea420.com.
root.turncoat.airea420.com. (
961230;
3600;
300;
3600000;
3600; )
IN NS turncoat.airea420.com.
roach.airea420.com. IN A 192.168.0.2 ;roach
turncoat.airea420.com. IN A 192.168.0.3 ;turncoat
lydia.airea420.com. IN A 192.168.0.4 ;lydia's machine
scott.airea420.com. IN A 192.168.0.5 ;my machine

-----

Now the output of /var/log/messages when trying to start named
using ndc start

-----

Nov 11 00:46:00 turncoat named[11893]: starting
(/etc/namedb/named.conf). named 8.3.6-REL Fri Nov 7 01:23:42 CST
2003
root.DeleteThis@turncoat.airea420.com:/usr/obj/usr/src/usr.sbin/named
Nov 11 00:46:00 turncoat named[11893]: limit files set to fdlimit
(1024)
Nov 11 00:46:00 turncoat named[11893]: airea420.com.db:9: SOA ")"
error near (I)
Nov 11 00:46:00 turncoat named[11893]: Zone "airea420.com" (file
airea420.com.db): no SOA RR found
Nov 11 00:46:00 turncoat named[11893]: master zone "airea420.com"
(IN) rejected due to errors (serial 961230)
Nov 11 00:46:00 turncoat named[11894]: Ready to answer queries.

-----

I have tried a google search on no SOA RR but have not really been
able to find much. Some articles said something about the file
having to have spaces in the right places and I have tried
retyping the file, creating new ones and modifying the default and
everytime I get this error. Could any bind masters please help me
out with this?

In article rayzrshrp.DeleteThis@tds.net (Scott)
writes:
>I have been trying to get my local dns server running for days now
>with no success. I have checked the freeBSD handbook at
>www.freebsd.org and followed their instructions and all of the
>files seem to be correct. I am listing the contents of such files
>below:

[snip]

>@ IN SOA turncoat.airea420.com.
>root.turncoat.airea420.com. (
> 961230;
> 3600;
> 300;
> 3600000;
> 3600; )

Those semicolons say "comment starts here" (just as for your IN A
lines), so you have effectively commented out the closing parenthesis.
Just remove them if you don't actually want to put in a comment (and if
you do, put both semicolon and comment *after* the closing paren).

--Per Hedeland
per.DeleteThis@hedeland.org