<sect1 id="ch07-hosts">
<title>Creating the /etc/hosts file</title>
<?dbhtml filename="hosts.html" dir="chapter07"?>

<para>If a network card is to be configured, you have to decide on the
IP-address, FQDN and possible aliases for use in the /etc/hosts file. The
syntax is:</para>

<screen>&lt;IP address&gt; myhost.mydomain.org aliases</screen>

<para>You should make sure that the IP-address is in the private network
IP-address range. Valid ranges are:</para>

<screen>	Class Networks
	A     10.0.0.0
	B     172.16.0.0 through 172.31.0.0
	C     192.168.0.0 through 192.168.255.0</screen>

<para>A valid IP address could be 192.168.1.1. A valid FQDN for this IP could
be www.linuxfromscratch.org.</para>

<para>If you aren't going to use a network card, you still need to 
come up with a FQDN. This is necessary for certain programs to operate
correctly.</para>

<para>If a network card is not going to be configured, create the
<filename>/etc/hosts</filename> file by running:</para>

<screen><userinput>cat &gt; /etc/hosts &lt;&lt; "EOF"</userinput>
# Begin /etc/hosts (no network card version)

127.0.0.1 &lt;value of HOSTNAME&gt;.mydomain.com &lt;value of HOSTNAME&gt; localhost

# End /etc/hosts (no network card version)
<userinput>EOF</userinput></screen>

<para>If a network card is to be configured, create the 
<filename>/etc/hosts</filename> file by running:</para>

<screen><userinput>cat &gt; /etc/hosts &lt;&lt; "EOF"</userinput>
# Begin /etc/hosts (network card version)

127.0.0.1 localhost.localdomain localhost
192.168.1.1 &lt;value of HOSTNAME&gt;.mydomain.org &lt;value of HOSTNAME&gt;

# End /etc/hosts (network card version)
<userinput>EOF</userinput></screen>

<para>Of course, the 192.168.1.1 and &lt;value of HOSTNAME&gt;.mydomain.org
have to be changed to your liking (or requirements if assigned an IP-address
by a network/system administrator and this machine is planned to be connected
to an existing network).</para>

</sect1>

