This page explains how to change a system's hostname (i.e rename a computer/server)
Executive summary: hostname(1) isn't enough.
Rename a computer
Core networking
Update /etc/hostname
Update /etc/hosts, so local address(es) resolves with the new system name.
- Reload the network configuration. You have two options
Reload configuration files
This will temporarily disconnect your system from the network (ssh usually resists short disconnection)invoke-rc.d hostname.sh start invoke-rc.d networking force-reload invoke-rc.d network-manager force-reload
ToDo: is it useful to reload network-manager?
or the lazy way: Restart the system.
Application specific
avahi
Avahi is used to publish (announce) local services. If you tweaked /etc/avahi/* you should run:
invoke-rc.d avahi-daemon force-reload
ssmtp
Ssmtp is a light weight, send-only smtp server.
Adjust /etc/ssmtp/ssmtp.conf (hostname=, etc.). You don't need to restart the service.
Exim
Adjust /etc/exim4/update-exim4.conf.conf (hostname=). You need to restart the service.
Message Of The Day
Adjust /etc/motd. You don't need to restart a service.
Cups
Adjust /etc/printcap . You need to restart the service.
Mailname
Adjust /etc/mailname. You don't need to restart the service.
Openssh server
Adjust /etc/ssh/ssh_host_rsa_key.pub and /etc/ssh/ssh_host_dsa_key.pub (root@hostname at the end). You need to restart the service.
other
(to be written) there must be others...
Charlie: It was me who took you. Not the Others...
Idea of script to help you on
Intrusive script
Take care you'd better do a grep before...
Not-so intrusive script
#!/bin/bash usage() { echo "usage : $0 nouveau_nom_hote" exit 1 } [ -z $1 ] && usage ancien=`hostname` nouveau=$1 for file in \ /etc/exim4/update-exim4.conf.conf \ /etc/printcap \ /etc/hostname \ /etc/hosts \ /etc/ssh/ssh_host_rsa_key.pub \ /etc/ssh/ssh_host_dsa_key.pub \ /etc/motd \ /etc/ssmtp/ssmtp.conf do [ -f $file ] && sed -i.old -e 's:$ancien:$nouveau:g' $file done
Take care you'd better do a grep before...
See also
?Howto Clone a System - system unique identifiers, to be changed when cloning a system.