hosts - The host name data base
/etc/hosts
The hosts file contains information regarding the known
hosts on the network. For each host a single line should
be present with the following information: IP_address
canonical_hostname aliases
Items are separated by any number of blanks and/or tab
characters. The # (number sign) indicates the beginning of
a comment; characters up to the end of the line are not
interpreted by routines which search the file.
The following is an example of an /etc/hosts file:
127.0.0.1 localhost 192.168.201.38 esterbrook.stylos.plume.net
esterbrook este es 192.168.201.3
wirt.stylos.plume.net wirt # DNS server
192.168.201.6 eclipse.stylos.plume.net eclipse #
DNS server 192.168.112.155 carter.stylos.plume.net
carter # NIS server 192.168.112.163 chilton.stylos.plume.net
chilton # NIS server
The first two or more entries include the default
127.0.0.1 loopback interface and any local network interfaces
that the ifconfig command needs when you boot your
system. In this case, there is one (primary) network
interface on the local system. It is called esterbrook,
but because it has such a long name, users on the local
system can refer to it by the aliases este or es for convenience.
The remaining entries are for other hosts in your network.
If you are not running a naming service, such as BIND, you
need to add an entry for any system to which you will
refer by a host name. If you are running a naming service,
you need only add entries for the most critical systems
with which you will communicate. In the event that
the naming service fails, the hosts file will serve as a
backup.
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 recommend for sites on the DARPA Internet.
Network addresses are specified in the conventional notation
using the inet_addr() routine from the Internet
address manipulation library, inet_addr(3). Host names
may contain any printable character other than a field
delimiter, newline, or comment character.
Commands: ifconfig(8), named(8)
Functions: gethostbyname(3)
hosts(4)
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