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HOSTNAME
!!!HOSTNAME
NAME
SYNOPSIS
DESCRIPTION
OPTIONS
FILES
AUTHORS
----
!!NAME


hostname - show or set the system's host name
dnsdomainname - show the system's DNS domain name
!!SYNOPSIS


__hostname__ [[__-v__] [[__-a__] [[__--alias__]
[[__-d__] [[__--domain__] [[__-f__] [[__--fqdn__]
[[__-i__] [[__--ip-address__] [[__--long__]
[[__-s__] [[__--short__] [[__-y__] [[__--yp__]
[[__--nis__]


__hostname__ [[__-v__] [[__-F filename__] [[__--file
filename__] [[__hostname__]


__hostname__ [[__-v__] [[__-h__] [[__--help__]
[[__-V__] [[__--version__]


__dnsdomainname__ [[__-v__]
!!DESCRIPTION


__Hostname__ is used to either set or display the current
host or domain name of the system. This name is used by many
of the networking programs to identify the machine. The
domain name is also used by NIS/YP.


__GET NAME__


When called without any arguments, the program displays the
current names:


__hostname__ will print the name of the system as
returned by the gethostname(2) function.


__dnsdomainname__ will print the domain part of the FQDN
(Fully Qualified Domain Name). The complete FQDN of the
system is returned with __hostname --fqdn__.


__SET NAME__


When called with one argument or with the __--file__
option, the commands set the host name or the NIS/YP domain
name.


Note, that only the super-user can change the
names.


It is not possible to set the FQDN or the DNS domain name
with the __dnsdomainname__ command (see __THE FQDN__
below).


The host name is usually set once at system startup in
''/etc/rc.d/rc.inet1'' or ''/etc/init.d/boot''
(normally by reading the contents of a file which contains
the host name, e.g. ''/etc/hostname'').


__THE FQDN__


You can't change the FQDN (as returned by __hostname
--fqdn__) or the DNS domain name (as returned by
__dnsdomainname__) with this command. The FQDN of the
system is the name that the resolver(3) returns for
the host name.


Technically: The FQDN is the name gethostbyname(2)
returns for the host name returned by gethostname(2).
The DNS domain name is the part after the first
dot.


Therefore it depends on the configuration (usually in
''/etc/host.conf'') how you can change it. Usually (if
the hosts file is parsed before DNS or NIS) you can change
it in ''/etc/hosts''.
!!OPTIONS


''-a, --alias''


Display the alias name of the host (if used).


''-d, --domain''


Display the name of the DNS domain. Don't use the command
__domainname__ to get the DNS domain name because it will
show the NIS domain name and not the DNS domain name. Use
__dnsdomainname__ instead.


''-F, --file filename''


Read the host name from the specified file. Comments (lines
starting with a `#') are ignored.


''-f, --fqdn, --long''


Display the FQDN (Fully Qualified Domain Name). A FQDN
consists of a short host name and the DNS domain name.
Unless you are using bind or NIS for host lookups you can
change the FQDN and the DNS domain name (which is part of
the FQDN) in the ''/etc/hosts'' file.


''-h, --help''


Print a usage message and exit.


''-i, --ip-address''


Display the IP address(es) of the host.


''-s, --short''


Display the short host name. This is the host name cut at
the first dot.


''-V, --version''


Print version information on standard output and exit
successfully.


''-v, --verbose''


Be verbose and tell what's going on.


''-y, --yp, --nis''


Display the NIS domain name. If a parameter is given (or
__--file name__ ) then root can also set a new NIS
domain.
!!FILES


__/etc/hosts__
!!AUTHORS


Peter Tobias,
Bernd Eckenfels,
----
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Last edited on Tuesday, June 4, 2002 12:22:09 am by "perry"
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