HOSTNAME
Section: Linux System Administrator's Manual (1)
Updated: 2013-08-29
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NAME
hostname - show or set the system's host name
dnsdomainname - show the system's DNS domain name
domainname - show or set the system's NIS/YP domain name
nisdomainname - show or set system's NIS/YP domain name
nodename - show or set the system's DECnet node name
ypdomainname - show or set the system's NIS/YP domain name
SYNOPSIS
hostname
[
-v]
[
-s|
--short]
hostname
[-v]
[-a|--alias]
[-d|--domain]
[-f|--fqdn|--long]
[-i|--ip-address]
hostname
[-v]
[-y|--yp|--nis]
[-n|--node]
hostname
[-v]
[-F filename|--file filename]
[newname]
domainname
[-v]
[-F filename|--file filename]
[newname]
nodename
[-v]
[-F filename|--file filename]
[newname]
hostname
[-v|--verbose]
[-h|--help]
[-V|--version]
dnsdomainname
[-v]
nisdomainname
[-v]
ypdomainname
[-v]
DESCRIPTION
Hostname
is the program that is used to either set or display
the current host, domain or node name of the system. These names are 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.
domainname, nisdomainname, ypdomainname
will print the name of the system as returned by the
getdomainname(2)
function. This is also known as the YP/NIS domain name of the system.
nodename
will print the DECnet node name of the system as returned by the
getnodename(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, the NIS/YP domain name or
the node 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 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 canonical name returned by
gethostbyname2(2)
when resolving the result of the
gethostname(2)
name. 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. If
hosts
is the first lookup method, you can change the FQDN in
/etc/hosts.
OPTIONS
- -a, --alias
-
Display the alias name of the host (if used).
- -d, --domain
-
Display the name of the DNS domain (this is the FQDN without the segment up
to the first dot). This is equivalent to using the
dnsdomainname
command.
- -F, --file filename
-
Read the new 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 name
including the DNS domain.
- -h, --help
-
Print a usage message and exit.
- -i, --ip-address
-
Display the IP address(es) of the host.
- -n, --node
-
Display the DECnet node name. If a parameter is given (or
--file name
) the root can also set a new node name.
- -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/hostname
/etc/hosts
/etc/host.conf
AUTHOR
Peter Tobias, <
tobias@et-inf.fho-emden.de>
Bernd Eckenfels, <
net-tools@lina.inka.de> (NIS and manpage).
Steve Whitehouse, <
SteveW@ACM.org> (DECnet support and manpage).
Index
- NAME
-
- SYNOPSIS
-
- DESCRIPTION
-
- GET NAME
-
- SET NAME
-
- THE FQDN
-
- OPTIONS
-
- FILES
-
- AUTHOR
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