hostname – show or set the system hostname
hostname displays or sets the system’s hostname — the name that identifies the machine on a network.
Synopsis
hostname [OPTIONS] [NAME]
Common Options
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
-f | FQDN (fully qualified domain name) |
-s | Short hostname |
-d | Domain name |
-i | IP address |
-I | All IP addresses |
Examples
Show hostname
$ hostname
server01
$ hostname -f
server01.example.com
$ hostname -s
server01
Show IP addresses
$ hostname -i
192.168.1.10
$ hostname -I
192.168.1.10 10.0.0.5
Set hostname (temporary)
$ sudo hostname newname
Set hostname permanently (systemd)
$ sudo hostnamectl set-hostname server01.example.com
Permanent Hostname
systemd systems (modern Linux)
$ sudo hostnamectl set-hostname myserver
$ hostnamectl
Static hostname: myserver
Icon name: computer-vm
Chassis: vm
Machine ID: abc123...
Boot ID: def456...
Virtualization: kvm
Operating System: Ubuntu 22.04 LTS
Kernel: Linux 5.15.0
Traditional method
# Edit /etc/hostname
$ sudo nano /etc/hostname
myserver
# Update /etc/hosts
$ sudo nano /etc/hosts
127.0.0.1 localhost
127.0.1.1 myserver.example.com myserver
Tips
- Use hostnamectl: Preferred on systemd systems
- Reboot not always needed: But recommended for full effect
- Update /etc/hosts: To avoid resolution delays
- Cloud instances: May reset on reboot, check cloud-init config
See Also
Related Commands
- hostnamectl — Control hostname (systemd)
- uname — System information
- domainname — NIS domain name
