Re: [MiNT] kernel development

[Robert Krenn <robertk@wombat.ludvika.se>]

On Thu, 24 Jun 1999, Martin-Eric Racine wrote:

> Hello,
> 
> I noticed we have two similar files, /etc/host and /etc/hostname
> whose usage remains unclear.  While /etc/hostname is used by the
> 'hostname' command, the other file remains a mystery.

The usage is extremly clear! 

Is the /etc/host file even used by anything?  What does it say?  Isn't it
the /etc/hosts file you are reffering to?

> Anyhow, I noticed that HOSTNAME is evaluated by 'login' and the
> shells, plus a lot of other things.  While one could purposely
> define "export HOSTNAME=`hostname`" in their /etc/profile and
> /etc/csh.cshrc (or in mint.cnf), why not have the kernel look
> for /etc/hostname file and , if found, export the value as the
> HOSTNAME string?

This isn't esp clever, what if your hostname is defined in a DNS ?  

The hostname is just a cosmetic thing ontop of IP. If you don't have a DNS
entry or DNS support at all, then you can "name" your computer by adding
the name to /etc/hostname. For your computer to find other computers
"nick-name" on your network, you add the other computers hostname in
/etc/hosts together with their IP.

If you just want the hostanme in a string... anyway it's stupid to do
so... why should you want to ???

just execute 'hostname' when you want it!!!! 

And why should the KERNEL know about a hostname??? 

> Another thing, this time a bug:

If it's a bug, then I guess you cold tell where it is. This sounds mor
likely to be some misconfiguration from your side! 

> Any way this could be fixed?

Try disable anything that isn't neccesary to use, so you can narrow down
the problem.

//Robert