Hosts file

[antonio montagnani]

2007/10/13, Tim <ignored_mailbox at yahoo.com.au>:
> On Sat, 2007-10-13 at 06:22 -0500, Aaron Konstam wrote:
> > But you reason for changing the host file makes no sense to me. TThe
> > hostname yes but not the hosts file. The hosts file contains machine
> > names you will use for outbound traffic and that should remain
> > unchanged.
>
> The hosts file does *more* than that, that's why you're not seeing the
> reason.
>
> The machine can also use it to work out its own addresses.  A DHCP
> server can change YOUR addresses, and hostname.  Modifying the hosts
> file and resolv.conf file, amongst other files that could be changed,
> *can* be done to ensure that your machine can work its own addresses
> out, without needing an external DNS server.
>
> A DHCP server can also tell you other addresses to use, such as NTP,
> NNTP, SMTP servers, and so on.  Those addresses could also be added to a
> hosts file, dynamically, if it were to be beneficial.
>
> --
> (This box runs FC7, my others run FC4, FC5 & FC6, in case that's
>  important to the thread.)
>
> Don't send private replies to my address, the mailbox is ignored.
> I read messages from the public lists.
>
>
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I am learning a lot from this thread.
I have only one question: if hosts file can be emptied by any DHCP
server (maybe what happened in my case, I can't check because my
server is sleeping in the office until monday...), I don' understand
why an empty file can prevent from logging into the machine (that is
what I experienced on my laptop..)
-- 
Antonio Montagnani
Skype : antoniomontag