[Freeipa-users] What should the --hostname option do?

[Rob Crittenden]

Martin Basti wrote:
> 
> 
> On 07.12.2016 08:48, List dedicated to discussions about use,
> configuration and deployment of the IPA server. wrote:
>> Hello,
>>
>> the --hostname option to the installer currently modifies the hostname
>> of the machine. In some environments, namely in unprivileged
>> containers, that operation is not denied. In some cases, it is
>> possible to change the FQDN of the container from outside, for example
>> with docker run's -h option. However, in some environments, namely in
>> OpenShift, there is not such possibility.
>>
>> I have found out that disabling the change by turning /bin/hostnamectl
>> and /usr/bin/domainname makes ipa-server-install pass while the server
>> gets configured with the hostname specified as the parameter to
>> --hostname option so it does not seem to be essential for the FQDN to
>> change. Of course, some operations might no longer work, like ssh to
>> the FreeIPA machine as sshd would need to be set with
>> GSSAPIStrictAcceptorCheck no.
>>
>> I wonder if either change of the --hostname semantics, or some new
>> option would be useful, to specify the hostname to be used by the
>> FreeIPA software while not touching the configuration of the hostname
>> for the machine.
>>
> 
> I agree that --hostname options should not touch system's hostname, I
> don't see reason why application installer should change system hostname.

It was done for sanity because a staggering number of users it seems
don't properly set their hostname.

> I'd start with deprecating current behavior of this option in next release

IMHO it is a pretty significant change of behavior.

> As you mentioned we need find what cases can be broken when we will use
> different local and external hostname, but anyway we have do this for
> containers.

Agreed. Something needs to happen, I'm just not convinced it should
happen in --hostname. I generally oppose new options but one might be
warranted in this case to handle things.

rob