Subj : debian installation and hostname memory
To   : comp.os.linux
From : Eric Peterson
Date : Mon Nov 22 2004 07:13 pm

Bizarre!  A while ago, I was setting up an old laptop at home to run debian.
CD ROM was burnt out so I used floppies, then a network connection.  When
asked for a host name I entered, "aaaa" (for example).  Never quite finished
the install (network card was too slow for what I wanted anyway).

Fast forward to last week.

I was setting up an old computer at the office for a backup system - using
Debian 'Woody', but couldn't get it to recognize a new hard drive on an
adapter card.  Took the computer home and tried an old 'Sarge' install CD,
it recognized the drive and I went ahead and finished the install at home
over my DSL.  At the hostname prompt, I entered, "zzzzz".

Then I brought the computer back to the office, realized I needed a few
different install options so I started over with a fresh downloaded of the
most recent 'sarge' install image.  What I saw when it asked for a host name
knocked my socks off and I still cant figure it out.  For the first time
ever, I did not see the default of "debian".  The default name given was
"aaaaa" - exactly what I had been naming that old laptop months earlier!

What happened?  Is Debian storing install data that they grab over the
internet?  That doesn't sound like them, but I cant figure out any
alternative.  The only connection between the two computers is that both had
a version of Debian 'Sarge' installed over my home network.  All disks have
been different and I have a dynamic IP which should have changed at least
once between installs.  I'm stumped!

.