HOSTNAME(1)		   Linux Programmers Manual		  HOSTNAME(1)



NAME
       hostname - show or set the systems host name
       dnsdomainname - show the systems 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 pro
       grams 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.

       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 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  cant  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.   Dont  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 network 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 whats 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.

NOTES
       The  address  families hostname tries when looking up the FQDN, aliases
       and network addresses of the host are determined by  the  configuration
       of  your resolver.  For instance, on GNU Libc systems, the resolver can
       be instructed to try IPv6 lookups first by using the  inet6  option  in
       /etc/resolv.conf.

FILES
       /etc/hosts

AUTHORS
       Peter Tobias, 
       Bernd Eckenfels,  (NIS and manpage).



net-tools			  28 Jan 1996			   HOSTNAME(1)