Hostname Configuration

Hostname Configuration

• The hostnamectl command can be used to set the hostname of a system.
• If neither --pretty nor --transient option is used, all three hostname types (static, pretty, and transient) will be set to the given name.
• The --static option can be used to set the static hostname only.
• The static hostname is stored in the /etc/hostname file.

hostnamectl Command

• The hostnamectl command can be used to display various descriptive and identity bits of information about the running system.
• The status sub-command can be omitted, as it is the default action of the hostnamectl command.

System Information

• The hostnamectl command can display the following information:
  • Static hostname
  • Pretty hostname
  • Transient hostname
  • Icon name
  • Chassis
  • Machine ID
  • Boot ID
  • Operating System
  • Kernel
  • Architecture

Name Service Switch (NSS)

• The NSS configuration file is /etc/nsswitch.conf.
• The NSS configuration file is used to determine the sources for name-IP matches and to obtain name-service information in a range of categories, called databases.
• The hosts database keeps track of the mapping between host names and host numbers.

Modifying Hostname

• The hostnamectl command can be used to modify the hostname of a system.
• The --static option can be used to set the static hostname only.
• The --pretty option can be used to set a more descriptive name for the machine.

/etc/hosts File

• The /etc/hosts file associates host names with IP addresses.
• The format of the /etc/hosts file is: IP address hostname alias.

Learn about configuring hostnames in Linux systems using the hostnamectl command. Understand the different options to set static, pretty, and transient hostnames.