hosts -- host name data base
The hosts file contains information regarding the known hosts on the network.
It can be used in conjunction with DNS, and the NIS maps
`hosts.byaddr' and `hosts.byname', as controlled by nsswitch.conf(5).
For each host a single line should be present with the following information:
Internet address
official host name
aliases
Items are separated by any number of blanks and/or tab characters. A
``#'' indicates the beginning of a comment; characters up to the end of
the line are not interpreted by routines which search the file.
When using the name server named(8), this file provides a backup used
when the name server is not running. For the name server, it is suggested
that only a few addresses be included in this file. These include
addresses for the local interfaces that ifconfig(8) needs at boot time
and a few machines on the local network.
This file may be created from the official host data base maintained at
the Network Information Control Center (NIC), though local changes may be
required to bring it up to date regarding unofficial aliases and/or
unknown hosts. As the data base maintained at NIC is incomplete, use of
the name server is recommended for sites on the DARPA Internet.
Network addresses are specified in the conventional ``.'' (dot) notation
using the inet_addr(3) routine from the Internet address manipulation
library, inet(3). Host names may contain any printable character other
than a field delimiter, newline, or comment character.
/etc/hosts The hosts file resides in /etc.
gethostbyname(3), nsswitch.conf(5), ifconfig(8), named(8)
Name Server Operations Guide for BIND.
The hosts file format appeared in 4.2BSD.
FreeBSD 5.2.1 December 11, 1993 FreeBSD 5.2.1 [ Back ] |
