hosts(4)                  FILE FORMATS                   hosts(4)



NAME
     hosts - host name data base

SYNOPSIS
     /etc/hosts

DESCRIPTION
     The hosts file  contains  information  regarding  the  known
     hosts  on  the  DARPA Internet.  For each host a single line
     should be present with the following information:
          Internet-address official-host-name aliases

     Items are separated by any number of SPACE and/or TAB  char-
     acters.  A `#' indicates the beginning of a comment; charac-
     ters up to the end of the line are not interpreted  by  rou-
     tines  which search the file.  This file is normally created
     from the official host data base maintained at  the  Network
     Information  Control  Center (NIC), though local changes may
     be required to bring it  up  to  date  regarding  unofficial
     aliases and/or unknown hosts.

     Network addresses are  specified  in  the  conventional  `.'
     notation  using  the  inetaddr  routine  from  the Internet
     address manipulation library, inet(3N).  Host names may con-
     tain  any  printable character other than a field delimiter,
     NEWLINE, or comment character.

EXAMPLE
     Here is a typical line from the /etc/hosts file:

          192.9.1.20        gaia                        # John Smith

FILES
     /etc/hosts

SEE ALSO
     gethostent(3N), inet(3N).


















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