Alex Risselada wrote:

Hi.

Can anybody inform me about the host file in the /etc directory? I've read this is a alternative of a named server. Could it be possible to put my system name, "wjerljocht" togetter with my current IP number so that I can be found on the WWW, when I'am online? I once had a dialin connection, but if the client wanted to acces my FTP service, he had to enter the assigend IP number instead of my hostname. and could it be chaned "hot", so without rebooting the system?, and if it has to, wich service could be rebooted, to get is running?

Thanks in advance. A Risselada

No, what the /etc/hosts file does for you is provide your system w/ a place to lookup certain host/address combinations w/o having to wait on a nameserver on the net. For example, if you have several hosts together on a lan, using private IP's, a query to an external (internet) nameserver will do you no good in trying to connect to one of the other lan hosts. But you can put the ip address, fqdn, and nickname(usually just the host name), in your /etc/hosts file and you could then connect by name instead of ip address w/i your lan. But, afaik, it does absolutely nothing for clients outside your lan, which don't have access to your /etc/hosts file. Maybe something like www.dyndns.org, for dynamic dns for dialup would be what you are looking for. Monte -- To unsubscribe send e-mail to suse-linux-e-unsubscribe@suse.com For additional commands send e-mail to suse-linux-e-help@suse.com Also check the FAQ at http://www.suse.com/support/faq