On Thu, 2004-04-08 at 18:22, Keven Ring wrote: > >OK, thanks for the explanation. I think I get it now. > > > >But what I still don't understand is: why don't I need to configure > >anything for my laptop to connect to the internet on Windows XP, but I > >have to modify /etc/hosts on Fedora ? > > > > > You don't need to modify /etc/hosts to connect to the internet in Fedora. > > GNOME [and other programs/processes] require the ability to do a reverse > domain name lookup, that is, given a hostname, what is the ip address. > You can hit Ctrl-Alt-F1, log in, and telnet/ssh/ftp/http to your hearts > content without ever changing /etc/hosts. [BTW, Ctrl-Alt-F7 takes you > back to GUI mode.. ;)] > > Your fundamental question is, why does Unix use a machine's hostname as > its point of reference, and MS use a NetBIOS name [Machine Name]? > > Unix has used an internet hostname since time began [Ok, maybe not > _quite_ that far back...]. MS Win 3.1 did not [let us not forget!!!] > have a TCP/IP stack, but they wanted networking, so they came up with > their own [or maybe they purchased it from someone else, I forget...]. > This legacy continues to this day, for better, or for worse. > > > Furthermore, when you set up your Windows machine the first time, did it > ask you what you wanted your Machine Name to be? If so, then the answer > is, Windows *DID* have you edit your /etc/hosts [at least, their > equivelant], you just didn't know it at the time..... There is nothing > that says that the anaconda installer would ask you what you want your > hostname to be [which it does if you specify you want a static IP > address ;)]. It could ask you the same thing, even for DHCP. Thanks for your explanations. I'm learning a lot today :) > Perhaps > this is really a feature request for FC2????? At the end of the day, I think it might well be it. I really that Joe users shouldn't have to modify /etc/hosts manually in order to use GNOME. I don't know exactly what should be done for it to work automatically, but I'm sure it should be done... -- Julien Olivier <julo@xxxxxxxxxx>
