Hostname configuration on DHCP/DNS server: /etc/hosts vs. /etc/hostname

[Tom H]

On Sun, Mar 27, 2011 at 9:49 AM, Chris G <cl at isbd.net> wrote:
> On Sun, Mar 27, 2011 at 02:56:48PM +0200, Niki Kovacs wrote:
>>
>> I have a DHCP/DNS server (Ubuntu 10.04) running on my local network.
>> The domain name is the dummy "presbytere.montpezat" for all the
>> local machines. Of course the server has a static network
>> configuration in /etc/network/interfaces.
>>
>> Here's how /etc/hosts is configured:
>>
>> 127.0.0.1 localhost.localdomain localhost
>> 192.168.1.2 proliant.presbytere.montpezat proliant
>>
>> Now I wonder what I should put in /etc/hostname. I think it should
>> only be this:
>>
>> proliant
>>
>> But now I wonder if I should put the FQDN in it, like this :
>>
>> proliant.presbytere.montpezat
>>
>> If I remember correctly, that's how my Red Hat servers were
>> configured. Anybody knows the "right" (or at least the orthodox) way
>> to do this?
>>
> I have a small home network with a local DNS/DHCP server too (it uses
> dnsmasq).   All systems except the DNS server itself have just the
> following:-
>
>    /etc/hosts
>
>        127.0.0.1       localhost
>
>    /etc/hostname
>
>        chris
>
> (of course you change the hostname 'chris' according to the host's name!)
>
> If you add all that localhost.localdomain stuff and the IP line then
> things beging to break, in particular both apache2 and leafnode complain
> that they can't find a FQDN for the host.

Please don't spread FUD!

I don't know about leafnode but apache2 doesn't break if you have
"127.0.0.1 localhost.localdomain localhost" in "/etc/hosts".

You have to ensure that your box is set up with either "127.0.1.1
myhost.mydomain myhost" for a dhcp box or "my_fixed_ip_address
myhost.mydomain myhost" in "/etc/hosts".