Problem with DHCP, /etc/hosts and GNOME

[Julien Olivier]

On Thu, 2004-04-08 at 18:22, Keven Ring wrote:
> >OK, thanks for the explanation. I think I get it now.
> >
> >But what I still don't understand is: why don't I need to configure
> >anything for my laptop to connect to the internet on Windows XP, but I
> >have to modify /etc/hosts on Fedora ?
> >  
> >
> You don't need to modify /etc/hosts to connect to the internet in Fedora.
> 
> GNOME [and other programs/processes] require the ability to do a reverse 
> domain name lookup, that is, given a hostname, what is the ip address.  
> You can hit Ctrl-Alt-F1, log in, and telnet/ssh/ftp/http to your hearts 
> content without ever changing /etc/hosts.  [BTW, Ctrl-Alt-F7 takes you 
> back to GUI mode.. ;)]
> 
> Your fundamental question is, why does Unix use a machine's hostname as 
> its point of reference, and MS use a NetBIOS name [Machine Name]?
> 
> Unix has used an internet hostname since time began [Ok, maybe not 
> _quite_ that far back...].  MS Win 3.1 did not [let us not forget!!!] 
> have a TCP/IP stack, but they wanted networking, so they came up with 
> their own [or maybe they purchased it from someone else, I forget...].  
> This legacy continues to this day, for better, or for worse.
> 
> 
> Furthermore, when you set up your Windows machine the first time, did it 
> ask you what you wanted your Machine Name to be?  If so, then the answer 
> is, Windows *DID* have you edit your /etc/hosts [at least, their 
> equivelant], you just didn't know it at the time.....  There is nothing 
> that says that the anaconda installer would ask you what you want your 
> hostname to be [which it does if you specify you want a static IP 
> address ;)].  It could ask you the same thing, even for DHCP.

Thanks for your explanations. I'm learning a lot today :)

>   Perhaps 
> this is really a feature request for FC2?????

At the end of the day, I think it might well be it.
I really that Joe users shouldn't have to modify /etc/hosts manually in
order to use GNOME. I don't know exactly what should be done for it to
work automatically, but I'm sure it should be done...

-- 
Julien Olivier <julo at altern.org>