Subj : Re: computer name for my linux machine
To   : comp.os.linux
From : rodsmith
Date : Thu Jun 17 2004 02:49 pm

In article <524eabb3.0406162122.246c8d63@posting.google.com>,
	kbalaguru0@yahoo.com (karthik bala guru) writes:
> 
> I have set an ip address for my machine. But i would like to
> give a name 'karthik' to my machine. 
> how to give such a name to my machine and use it in the place of
> the ip address ?

In what sort of networking context does your computer reside? The best
solution depends on the OS(s) run on karthik, the OS(s) used by the
computers that'll be addressing karthik, whether or not your network uses
DHCP for IP address assignment, whether any DHCP server you use assigns
the same IP address to the computers at all times, what infrastructure
you have in the way of DNS servers, how much control you've got over the
DNS and DHCP infrastructure, and even whether you want to address karthik
from machines on other subnets. Some possible solutions include:

1) Run Samba (or at least Samba's nmbd daemon) on karthik.
2) (In conjunction with #1) reconfigure other Linux systems to use WINS
   in addition to DNS for name resolution.
3) Add karthik's name and IP address to other computers' /etc/hosts file
   (or its equivalent in non-Unixy OSs).
4) Add an entry for karthik to your local DNS server.
5) Ask your network administrator or ISP to do #4, if you don't have
   direct control over it.

-- 
Rod Smith, rodsmith@rodsbooks.com
http://www.rodsbooks.com
Author of books on Linux, FreeBSD, and networking

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