Finding the Hostname in Linux: A Guide to Common Methods
Finding the hostname in Linux can be done in a few different ways, depending on your specific needs and the Linux distribution you’re using. Here are a few common methods:
1. Using the hostname
Command
The simplest way to find the hostname of your Linux system is to use the hostname
command in your terminal. Simply open a terminal window and type:1
hostname
This command will display the hostname of your system.
For example:1
2$ hostname
presto-node-10
2. Using the uname
Command
While the uname
command is primarily used to print system information, it can also be combined with other commands to display the hostname. However, note that uname
by itself doesn’t directly give the hostname, but it can be used in conjunction with other commands to achieve similar results.
A more direct way to get the hostname is still to use the hostname
command, but for completeness, here’s an example of how uname
can be used with other commands to get system information that might indirectly help you find the hostname (though not directly):1
uname -n
However, it’s worth noting that uname -n
is essentially the same as hostname
and will display the hostname of your system.
For example:1
2$ uname -n
presto-node-10
3. Viewing /etc/hostname
On many Linux distributions, the hostname is stored in the /etc/hostname
file. You can view the contents of this file to find the hostname of your system. Open a terminal and type:1
cat /etc/hostname
This command will display the contents of the /etc/hostname
file, which should contain your system’s hostname.
For example:1
2$ cat /etc/hostname
presto-node-10
4. Using the hostnamectl
Command (Systemd)
If your system uses systemd (which is the case for many modern Linux distributions), you can use the hostnamectl
command to view and manage your system’s hostname. This command provides more information than just the hostname, including the static hostname, transient hostname, icon name, chassis type, and more.
To view the hostname using hostnamectl
, open a terminal and type:1
hostnamectl
Scroll through the output to find the “Static hostname” line, which will display your system’s hostname.
For example:1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11$ hostnamectl
Static hostname: presto-node-10
Icon name: computer-vm
Chassis: vm
Machine ID: cee0aoh4af3oh5u6om8reichailae3oh
Boot ID: ihahzoh8Peshieeuiedufier2dah2ahr
Virtualization: kvm
Operating System: CentOS Linux 7 (Core)
CPE OS Name: cpe:/o:centos:centos:7
Kernel: Linux 3.10.0-1160.88.1.el7.x86_64
Architecture: x86-64
Conclusion
Finding the hostname in Linux is a straightforward process that can be accomplished using a variety of commands. The hostname
command is the most direct and widely used method, but /etc/hostname
and hostnamectl
are also useful options, depending on your specific needs and the Linux distribution you’re using.