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  cur-
       rent  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  gethost-
       name(2) function.


       domainname, nisdomainname, ypdomainname will print the name of the sys-
       tem 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 dns-
       domainname 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  con-
       tents 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 success-
              fully.

       -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

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).




net-tools                         28 Jan 1996                      HOSTNAME(1)