HOSTNAME(1) Linux System Administrator's Manual HOSTNAME(1)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 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.
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 dns‐
domainname command (see THE FQDN below).
The host name is usually set once at system startup 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 canonical name returned by gethostby‐
name2(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 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/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).
net-tools 2013-08-29 HOSTNAME(1)