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Re: Got a machine name problem

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On Tue, Feb 23, 2021 at 08:21:48PM -0500, Gene Heskett wrote:
> On Tuesday 23 February 2021 19:22:19 James B wrote:
> 
> > With systemd-based Debian, the probably now best way to set a hostname
> > is with:
> >
> > hostnamectl set-hostname NAME
> >
> > What Tom suggested is completely valid, but hostnamectl should I
> > understand be the preferred route [...]

...if you restrict yourself to the systemd world [0], that is.

> Does this also have a set-domainname option? This also is disappearing on 
> a reboot. Not ack the man page so I assume there is a different method 
> to handle that?

Gene, please read the hostname(1) man page. It is short and sweet
(120 - 240 lines, depending on your screen width). It's all in there.

Choice quotes:

- from the top
  NAME
       hostname - show or set the system's host name
       domainname - show or set the system's NIS/YP domain name
       ypdomainname - show or set the system's NIS/YP domain name
       nisdomainname - show or set the system's NIS/YP domain name
       dnsdomainname - show the system's DNS domain name

you can safely ignore all that NIS/YP [1] part, that rules out the
variants 2-4; the last variant only shows the DNS domain name --
you'd have to talk to Someone Else (TM) to change that. This leaves
variant (1), i.e. hostname.

Now:

  DESCRIPTION
    [...]
    SET NAME
      When called with one argument or with the --file option, the
      commands set the host name or the NIS/YP domain name [...]

So... it seems we're out of luck? Only changing your domain if it is
with NIS/YP is supported? But, oh, lookee...

   THE FQDN
     The FQDN (Fully Qualified Domain Name) of the system is the
     name that the resolver(3) returns for the host name, such as,
     ursula.example.com [...]

     You cannot change the FQDN with hostname or dnsdomainname.

     The recommended method of setting the FQDN is to make the
     hostname be an alias for the fully qualified name using
     /etc/hosts, DNS, or NIS [...]

So if your domain isn't imposed on your host by DNS (you would
know that, since that's your home network, and you'd have done
some setup to enforce that or by NIS/YP (you most probably don't
have that, your network admin, i.e. you, would know that), the
result is... go look in your /etc/hosts [2] for the domain name
your box thinks it has.

This seemingly baroque thing is due that the domain name "in"
which your box lives is a decision that not always can be
taken by your box alone. Like when I'm in France, I can't say
"I'm in Luxembourg" unless I am a rich person ;-)

(Exchange perhaps France for U.S. and Luxembourg for Delaware
for those west of the pond. For those elsewhere, please teach
me: where are your favourite tax paradises?)

Cheers

[0] Me? I prefer to stay portable. Works consistently across
   systemd and non-systemd boxes.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_Information_Service
[2] which kinda makes sense: if you squint a bit, /etc/hosts
   is sorta the "poor person's DNS". Read on the resolver, and
   /etc/resolv.conf for the next rabbit hole.

 - t

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Thread

Got a machine name problem Gene Heskett <gheskett@shentel.net> - 2021-02-23 19:00 +0100
  Re: Got a machine name problem Dan Ritter <dsr@randomstring.org> - 2021-02-23 19:10 +0100
  Re: Got a machine name problem Tom Browder <tom.browder@gmail.com> - 2021-02-23 20:30 +0100
    Re: Got a machine name problem "James B" <portoteacher80@fastmail.com> - 2021-02-24 01:30 +0100
      Re: Got a machine name problem "James B" <portoteacher80@fastmail.com> - 2021-02-24 01:30 +0100
      Re: Got a machine name problem Gene Heskett <gheskett@shentel.net> - 2021-02-24 02:30 +0100
        Re: Got a machine name problem <tomas@tuxteam.de> - 2021-02-24 09:40 +0100
          Re: Got a machine name problem <tomas@tuxteam.de> - 2021-02-24 12:20 +0100
            Re: Got a machine name problem Stefan Monnier <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca> - 2021-02-24 16:20 +0100
          Re: Got a machine name problem Gene Heskett <gheskett@shentel.net> - 2021-02-24 12:20 +0100
            Re: Got a machine name problem Greg Wooledge <greg@wooledge.org> - 2021-02-24 14:50 +0100
              Re: Got a machine name problem Tom Browder <tom.browder@gmail.com> - 2021-02-24 15:00 +0100
                Re: Got a machine name problem Greg Wooledge <greg@wooledge.org> - 2021-02-24 15:20 +0100
                Re: Got a machine name problem Tom Browder <tom.browder@gmail.com> - 2021-02-24 15:30 +0100
              Re: Got a machine name problem Gene Heskett <gheskett@shentel.net> - 2021-02-24 18:30 +0100
                Re: Got a machine name problem Greg Wooledge <greg@wooledge.org> - 2021-02-24 19:00 +0100
                Re: Got a machine name problem IL Ka <kazakevichilya@gmail.com> - 2021-02-24 19:20 +0100
                Re: Got a machine name problem Celejar <celejar@gmail.com> - 2021-02-24 19:00 +0100
    Re: Got a machine name problem Gene Heskett <gheskett@shentel.net> - 2021-02-24 02:10 +0100
      Re: Got a machine name problem David Wright <deblis@lionunicorn.co.uk> - 2021-02-24 02:40 +0100
        Re: Got a machine name problem Tom Browder <tom.browder@gmail.com> - 2021-02-24 03:30 +0100
        Re: Got a machine name problem Gene Heskett <gheskett@shentel.net> - 2021-02-24 04:30 +0100
      Re: Got a machine name problem Stefan Monnier <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca> - 2021-02-24 06:00 +0100
        Re: Got a machine name problem Gene Heskett <gheskett@shentel.net> - 2021-02-24 06:10 +0100
          OT: Spicy stuff in sensitive areas (was Re: Got a machine name problem) The Wanderer <wanderer@fastmail.fm> - 2021-02-24 12:20 +0100
      Re: Got a machine name problem Brian <ad44@cityscape.co.uk> - 2021-02-24 15:20 +0100
        Re: Got a machine name problem Brian <ad44@cityscape.co.uk> - 2021-02-24 21:20 +0100
  Re: Got a machine name problem David Christensen <dpchrist@holgerdanske.com> - 2021-02-24 03:00 +0100
    Re: Got a machine name problem David Wright <deblis@lionunicorn.co.uk> - 2021-02-24 06:00 +0100
  Re: Got a machine name problem "Andrew M.A. Cater" <amacater@einval.com> - 2021-02-24 12:20 +0100
    Re: Got a machine name problem Gene Heskett <gheskett@shentel.net> - 2021-02-24 12:30 +0100

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