Looking at /etc/resolvconf/update.d/*, I see a lot of code
duplication:

  - formatting nameserver lines
  - uniquifying nameserver/search lists

The reason for this is /lib/resolvconf/list-records, which is the
only API resolvconf exposes, and it's rather brittle anyway, since
it has to be run in the right directory.

I suggest that resolvconf grows a new API:

  register-nameservers $NAME [$IP [$IP …]]
    formats the list of IPs and calls resolvconf -a appropriately
    reads list from stdin if ${2…} is empty

  get-nameserver-ips [-a] [$NAME]
    get a list of IPs associated with an interface, or all
    IPs known to resolvconf, properly sorted and uniquified.
    The -a option causes it to override truncating after localhost
    entries.

  unregister-nameservers $NAME
    calls resolvconf -d for completeness

If there's a strong signal that this is wanted behaviour, I would
write the scripts.

Thanks,

As described in #477723 please note that the resolvconf developers are
looking for help.  Absent such help we are only maintaining the package,
not trying to enhance it.

As you volunteer to implement this wish, which seems like a good idea,
I'd like to invite you to join the development team so that you can
commit your changes directly to svn.

also sprach Thomas Hood <jdthood@gmail.com> [2010.02.12.0720 +1300]:

I'd be surprised if I am not already on the alioth team.

This sounds like a task for next week's airplane trip back to Europe
from New Zealand. ;)