About the hosts file

[montana_suse_user]

My question: Is it allowable to have an entry in my hosts file that has the hostname and ip address of my computer in it?

Example: My computer's hostname is ASU-X99 and it's ip address is 10.111.10.5
Can that entry be added to the hosts file on this computer without causing problems? Especially if it is below the 127.0.0.1 entry?

The reason for my question is:
I have 5 openSUSE systems, a NAS and 3 printers on my network. I am in the habit of doing updates to all the computers in my network from my computer using ssh to log into each of them, using ssh bart@<hostname>, and using zypper up. I should say that all devices except mobile phones have reserved addresses.

I have been having very inconsistent results using hostnames as often I get a name or service not known response. All seems well if the entries are in the hosts file of the various computers, but I would like to use the same file for all the computers, giving me one central point for management, rather than got to each one if/when I need to make a change.

My router (TP-Link 7602) does not have a DNS server in it.

Bart

[malcolmlewis]

My question: Is it allowable to have an entry in my hosts file that has the hostname and ip address of my computer in it?

Example: My computer's hostname is ASU-X99 and it's ip address is 10.111.10.5
Can that entry be added to the hosts file on this computer without causing problems? Especially if it is below the 127.0.0.1 entry?

The reason for my question is:
I have 5 openSUSE systems, a NAS and 3 printers on my network. I am in the habit of doing updates to all the computers in my network from my computer using ssh to log into each of them, using ssh bart@<hostname>, and using zypper up. I should say that all devices except mobile phones have reserved addresses.

I have been having very inconsistent results using hostnames as often I get a name or service not known response. All seems well if the entries are in the hosts file of the various computers, but I would like to use the same file for all the computers, giving me one central point for management, rather than got to each one if/when I need to make a change.

My router (TP-Link 7602) does not have a DNS server in it.

Bart

Hi
I normally just have localhost tied to 127.0.0.x and hostname against the static ip address..... I just have a localhosts text file and just append to /etc/hosts on machines.

[montana_suse_user]

Hi
I normally just have localhost tied to 127.0.0.x and hostname against the static ip address..... I just have a localhosts text file and just append to /etc/hosts on machines.

Not completely sure I understand. Do you mean there is an entry:
127.0.0.1 localhost

and another at:
192.168.1.x <your local hostname>

?

Bart

[deano_ferrari]

Not completely sure I understand. Do you mean there is an entry:
127.0.0.1 localhost

and another at:
192.168.1.x <your local hostname>

?

Bart

Refer

man 5 hosts

[kasi042]

@montana_suse_user,

I can confirm it doesn't do any harm if a host's own hostname and IP is listed in it's "/etc/hosts". I have a similar setup / approach. I don't use only one file but being lazy I just copy the full list of hosts into the file / the YaST dialog when doing a fresh install. That's my habit since many years and I have never had any issue that I could think of being related to it.

[hcvv]

Not completely sure I understand. Do you mean there is an entry:
127.0.0.1 localhost

and another at:
192.168.1.x <your local hostname>

?

Bart

That is rather normal. And the sequence is of no importance.

[dcurtisfra]

Is it allowable to have an entry in my hosts file that has the hostname and ip address of my computer in it?
.
I have been having very inconsistent results using hostnames as often I get a name or service not known response. All seems well if the entries are in the hosts file of the various computers, but I would like to use the same file for all the computers, giving me one central point for management, rather than got to each one if/when I need to make a change.
.
My router (TP-Link 7602) does not have a DNS server in it.

Then, you'll have to setup a DNS server for your LAN – assuming that, it's a small private LAN, a «Raspberry Pi» or, something similar, will be more than sufficient for your needs.

• Trying to maintain consistent ‘/etc/hosts’ files across all hosts in a network is and, always was, a Sisyphus task and, doomed to error …

[karlmistelberger]

My question: Is it allowable to have an entry in my hosts file that has the hostname and ip address of my computer in it?

Example: My computer's hostname is ASU-X99 and it's ip address is 10.111.10.5
Can that entry be added to the hosts file on this computer without causing problems? Especially if it is below the 127.0.0.1 entry?

The reason for my question is:
I have 5 openSUSE systems, a NAS and 3 printers on my network. I am in the habit of doing updates to all the computers in my network from my computer using ssh to log into each of them, using ssh bart@<hostname>, and using zypper up. I should say that all devices except mobile phones have reserved addresses.

I have been having very inconsistent results using hostnames as often I get a name or service not known response. All seems well if the entries are in the hosts file of the various computers, but I would like to use the same file for all the computers, giving me one central point for management, rather than got to each one if/when I need to make a change.

My router (TP-Link 7602) does not have a DNS server in it.

Bart

Does that work: https://www.tp-link.com/de/support/faq/1712/ ?

The local network here consists of several hosts and all of the openSUSE machines have this single identical configuration file:

erlangen:~ # cat /etc/systemd/network/20-wired.network     
[Match] 
Name=e* 

[Network] 
DHCP=yes 
Domains=fritz.box 
erlangen:~ #

Each of them has a unique static hostname:

erlangen:~ # hostnamectl  
 Static hostname: erlangen 
       Icon name: computer-desktop 
         Chassis: desktop  
        Location: home 
      Machine ID: 94f3af277bac4a8eb57da425c9677379 
         Boot ID: 799357efba7f4566bd72611875e7810e 
Operating System: openSUSE Tumbleweed                 
     CPE OS Name: cpe:/o:opensuse:tumbleweed:20220423 
          Kernel: Linux 5.17.4-1-default 
    Architecture: x86-64 
 Hardware Vendor: Micro-Star International Co., Ltd. 
  Hardware Model: MS-7C56 
erlangen:~ #

The above is all I need to check.

[deano_ferrari]

Does that work: https://www.tp-link.com/de/support/faq/1712/ ?

The local network here consists of several hosts and all of the openSUSE machines have this single identical configuration file:

How does this relate to the OP's questions in any way?

[montana_suse_user]

@dcurtisfra

Sisyphus ?