SEO

>> Most likely you edited your /etc/hosts file. Put the original back, line
>> by line, until the problem goes away, in particular this line must be
>> present as shown:
>>
>> 127.0.0.1 localhost.localdomain localhost
>>
>
> Would there be any conflict "/etc/sysconfig/network" has a
> different entry for hostname?.

Please explain. What hostname? "localhost"? You cannot use this name for a
hostname. It's reserved to the loopback interface.



Redhat default host name ( the name at the CLI prompt) is
"<username>@localhost"
I always wanted to change the name "localhost". In earlier
incarnations of RH this was an install option, but no
longer.

Changing this in "/etc/sysconfig/network" ( HOSTNAME=<whatever>.localdomain
) is reflected in the prompt but causes a delay with some apps startup
particularly "dialup".





> If so how can the hostname be changed safely and legitimately?

1. Change to runlevel 1 or whatever runlevel disables network services on
your distribution.

2. Edit /etc/sysconfig/network, change hostname. Also some other files in
this tree may have the old hostname, check with:

# grep (old host name) -R /etc/sysconfig/*



grep shows a couple of script files that check for the existance of
"localhost.localdomain"




Edit as required.

3. Issue this:

# hostname (new host name)

4. Check that /etc/hosts has the correct hostname, if it has an entry at all
for the local machine's hostname.

5. Return to normal network-aware runlevels.


I'll try you directions TOMORROW. I've learned the hard way not to mess
around in the evenings when tired and not alert and ROOT :-)


--
faeychild