From: "Tim" <ignored_mailbox@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Tim:
127.0.0.1 localhost.localdomain localhost
For some reason, Fedora likes to put the machine name into the 127.0.0.1
line, sometimes, despite all the problems that it can cause.
jdow:
Did you do something silly like modify /etc/sysconfig/network? What
does it currently say? It should say:
NETWORKING=yes
HOSTNAME=localhost.localdomain
If not you did something to modify it and you have localhost being
renamed. Otherwise you may have nasty little spirits camping out
digitally on your machine.
Nup, nothing like that. I've seen quite a few machines that have the
machine name inserted there, by the routines that configure the network
settings for you on a freshly installed machine.
Usually, the first time around, your machine is localhost.localdomain,
but sometimes if you've entered a hostname, even if you have a NIC, the
hostname is inserted into the local loopback address details. Usually,
*before* the localhost.localdomain details (of all the worst places to
do so).
Given what the hosts file is for the ORDER does not matter. But the
127.0.0.1 line MUST be present.
The hosts file is merely used for looking up names on the local network
if you do not have the local network defined in an active DNS server.
(With 40 odd (and some even {O,o}) gadgets and computers on the network
here local DNS AND DHCP really makes it happen.)
{^_^}
