HOSTNAME(1)                         Linux Programmer's Manual                         HOSTNAME(1)



NAME
       hostname - show or set the system's host name
       domainname - show or set the system's NIS/YP domain name
       dnsdomainname - show the system's DNS domain name
       nisdomainname - show or set system's NIS/YP domain name
       ypdomainname - show or set the system's NIS/YP domain name


SYNOPSIS
       hostname  [-v]  [-a]  [--alias] [-d] [--domain] [-f] [--fqdn] [-i] [--ip-address] [--long]
       [-s] [--short] [-y] [--yp] [--nis] [-n] [--node]


       hostname [-v] [-F filename] [--file filename] [hostname]


       domainname [-v] [-F filename] [--file filename] [name]


       nodename [-v] [-F filename] [--file filename] [name]


       hostname [-v] [-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 iden-
       tify 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.


       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  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 /etc/sysconfig/network

NOTE
       Note  that  hostname doesn't change anything permanently. After reboot original names from
       /etc/hosts are used again.

AUTHOR
       Peter Tobias, <>
       Bernd Eckenfels, <> (NIS and manpage).
       Steve Whitehouse, <> (DECnet support and manpage).




net-tools                                  28 Jan 1996                                HOSTNAME(1)