HOSTNAME

Section: Linux Programmer's Manual (1)
Updated: 28 Jan 1996
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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, <tobias@et-inf.fho-emden.de>
Bernd Eckenfels, <net-tools@lina.inka.de> (NIS and manpage).

Index

NAME

SYNOPSIS

DESCRIPTION

GET NAME
SET NAME
THE FQDN

OPTIONS

FILES

AUTHORS

This document was created by man2html, using the manual pages.
Time: 22:13:29 GMT, January 20, 2025