unable to get /etc/resolv.conf and /etc/network/interfaces configured properly in wheezy

[Mark Copper <mlcopper@gmail.com>]

With resolvconf package installed and configured for dynamic
generation of /etc/resolv.conf, I was *unable* to get any non-local
nameservers written into /etc/resolv.conf.

I tried a dns-nameservers line in the /etc/network/interfaces stanza
for the network interface card, and I tried nameserver lines in the
"base"  resolvconf config file.  Neither worked after a networking
reload/restart.

Documentation shown when going through dpkg-reconfigure for resolvconf
says that a reboot is necessary to make sure all components work
together as they should.

In my case networking did not come back at all and I can no longer ssh in.

I suppose the culprit is the change made to the interfaces file.

Previously, my file followed this format for multiple IP addresses on
a single nic like this (cf
https://wiki.debian.org/NetworkConfiguration):

auto eth0 eth0:1

iface eth0 inet static
    address 192.168.1.42
    netmask 255.255.255.0
    gateway 192.168.1.1
    dns-nameservers 8.8.8.8

auto eth0:1
    allow-hotplug eth0:0
    iface eth0:1 inet static
    address 192.168.1.43
    netmask 255.255.255.0

but both /etc/init.d/networking reload and restart had separate
problems besides not solving my resolv.conf problem.  So I tried the
newer format at the bottom of the same wiki.debian.org page like this:

auto eth0
allow-hotplug eth0
iface eth0 inet static
    address 192.168.1.42
    netmask 255.255.255.0
    gateway 192.168.1.1
    dns-nameservers 8.8.8.8

iface eth0 inet static
    address 192.168.1.43
    netmask 255.255.255.0

Networking seemed OK reloading and restarting, but, sadly, not so when
rebooting, apparently.

Probably I took a wrong turn somewhere when upgrading from squeeze and
will have to rebuild the OS, but if anyone has an idea, I'd be
grateful if they would share it.

Mark