


      HOSTS(4)                    (bsd 4.2)                    HOSTS(4)



      NAME
           hosts - host name data base

      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:

           official host name
           Internet address
           aliases

           Items are separated by any number of blanks and/or tab
           characters.  A ``#'' indicates the beginning of a comment;
           characters up to the end of the line are not interpreted by
           routines 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.  Host names may contain any printable character
           other than a field delimiter, newline, or comment character.

      EXAMPLE
           #
           # local hosts database

           127.1   localhost
           126.1     machine1 manufacturing mailroom
           126.2     machine2 marketing guardhouse
           126.3     machine3 gardencenter


      FILES
           /etc/hosts


















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