Hosts file

[Tim]

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.)

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