hostconfig process

[Jerry LeVan]

>
> On Aug 14, 2007, at 6:19 PM, Jerry LeVan wrote:
>
> >
> > On Aug 14, 2007, at 4:11 PM, Dan Shoop wrote:
> >
> >>
> >> On Aug 11, 2007, at 4:04 PM, Jerry LeVan wrote:
> >>
> >>>
> >>>>
> >>>>  
> -------------------------------------------------------------------
> >>>> ---
> >>>>
> >>>> Message: 1
> >>>> Date: Fri, 10 Aug 2007 16:06:09 -0700
> >>>> From: "Justin C. Walker" <justin at mac.com>
> >>>> Subject: Re: hostconfig process
> >>>> To: omniadmin OSX <macosx-admin at omnigroup.com>
> >>>> Message-ID: <FAED86C8-BF06-46FF-A6EA-8A9347EC13A2 at mac.com>
> >>>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes;
> >>>> format=flowed
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> On Aug 10, 2007, at 11:11 , R.L. Grigg wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>>> Theres a remote OSX 10.4.10 system that I administor by ssh, and
> >>>>> after I modify /etc/hostconfig, what process do I need to kill -
> >>>>> HUP
> >>>>> to have it read up the new settings so I dont have to reboot it
> >>>>
> >>>> You need to reboot to have this file re-scanned.  In essence, it
> >>>> provides a lot of basic settings for the system (processes  
> that may
> >>>> run only at boot-time, or long-lived processes that have  
> nothing to
> >>>> do with the boot process) to use, and without restarting the  
> whole
> >>>> system, you won't get what you want.
> >>>>
> >>>> This may have changed in recent releases, but AFAIK, this is the
> >>>> still the case.
> >>>>
> >>>> Justin
> >>>>
> >>>
> >>> Have you tried "hostname -s newnane" (and setting the host name
> >>> in hostconfig).
> >>
> >> Have you read hostconfig???
> >>
> >> There's a lot more it defines than hostname. It defines global
> >> variables that are use by SystemStartup items and many other  
> things.
> >>
> >> Also hostname set like that won't stick, and can change even while
> >> the system is booted, because it's just plain the wrong way to set
> >> it.
> >>
> >>
> >> -dhan
> >
> > Chill out dan, try to focus on solutions rather than criticisms...
>
> The critiquing process is how peers learn from their peers and work
> and analysis is reviewed. If you can't stand for critical analysis of
> your work you have no place in the sciences, including computing
> sciences. Through such critique bad practices are revealed dn
> confirmation gained for good practices. This is the value of critical
> review, a hallmark of the scientific process.
>
> Since hostconfig is used for a wide variety of things, focusing on
> setting hostname through other means misses the question entirely.
> It's a non-sequitur; you might as well have told him how to tie his
> shoes. (I'm presuming you'd have gotten that right, while your advice
> here is not only off topic but outright wrong.)
>
> /etc/hostconfig is read by rc files and every instantiation of every
> SystemStartup item.
>
> Moreover using even hostconfig to set hostname has not only been
> depreciated in Tiger it is specifically stated by Apple as something
> *not* to do. Apple specifically states that no setting (other than -
> Automatic-) for hostname be in hostconfig for Tiger and beyond. See
> technote 303697 where they even go so far as to bold the word "not"
> in a whole subsection titled "Leave hostname alone."
>
> But far more poignantly using `hostname` to set set the hostname
> under OS X at all is completely off the mark and has never been the
> correct method to set this parameter. Not only does it not provided
> persistence across reboots but it won't even hold for any running
> instance of the OS. It could therefore change very in-expectantly and
> to great damage. (And it will, just trigger any change in networking.)
>
> The correct method for setting hostname is to use `scutil --set
> HostName <FQDN>` instead or `changeip` if running OS X Server. Only
> then will it get properly registered by the OS and maintain  
> persistence.

Yah, well I did indeed blow it, I thought that the original poster

was simply trying to set the hostname remotely...

That being said...

See you made my point! You could have replied that

the scutil and configd utiliies might be more appropriate

but you chose to be pedantic and as always incomplete.

Changing a hostname can be a complex action, I doubt that scutil is

going to modify bind configuration options...

I would hope that this forum is for exchanging ideas and rendering

assistance to OSX admins. I suspect that the users of the forum

are not 'publishing papers' and are not in need of your 'critiquing'

and 'critical analysis' of their postings.

I think/hope that most users of the forum would prefer responses that

are positive rather than "that's not the right way".



Jerry