File description /etc/hosts 11.. PPuurrppoossee This screen allows you to setup an information table providing the IP number, name and alias of different hosts. If you access another machine often, typing its IP number is annoying and error prone. You can setup a definition in the hosts file. Later you will be able to access the machine by name. 22.. //eettcc//hhoossttss uussaaggee The /etc/hosts file is the basic simple way to name the different machine on your network. Keep in mind that the definitions you are entering here are local to this machine and won't be share with any machine on the network. This means potential problem as two machines may have an incompatible /etc/hosts file (because of an operator error for example). 33.. SSoommee eennttrriieess aarree nnoott sshhoowwnn _L_i_n_u_x_c_o_n_f omit some entries of the file /etc/hosts. The localhost entry is not shown and the entries which represent the various aliases of this computer are hidden also. So this menu really presents the "other" hosts beside this one. 44.. SSuuggggeessttiioonn Using a DNS or NIS is generally nicer even for a small network. By maintaining a single list of hosts in one machine, all the other machine in the net may known each other.