[Information] Changing your "hostname"(Computer Name)

[Wirezfree]

Having just changed a hostname on 1 of my PC's thought I would share.
Maybe useful if you have made a mistake with the name, or you just want to change it, or you have "cloned" a VM in Virtualbox.


The hostname is the name of your computer, in a terminal you see,
dave@lappy:~$
"lappy" is the "hostname"


First make copies of the configuration files, in case you want to undo this:

Code:

sudo cp /etc/hosts /etc/hosts.old
sudo cp /etc/hostname /etc/hostname.old

Then you need to edit the "2" files below which have the "hostname" in them.
Edit the files and change the "old" hostname to the "new" hostname

Code:

gksu leafpad /etc/hosts

Then

Code:

gksu leafpad /etc/hostname

Now re-boot, and you now have a "new" hostname


"Important"
If you have set up network "sharing" on this PC you also need to change the "netbios name" to match the "new" hostame


First make copy of configuration file, in case you want to undo this:

Code:

sudo cp /etc/samba/smb.conf /etc/samba/smb.conf.old

Then

Code:

gksu leafpad /etc/samba/smb.conf

Edit the file and change the "netbios name =" from "old" hostname to the "new" hostname that you changed above


Now re-boot, your PC will now show on your network with a name that "matches" your "new" hostname
If you have created links to this PC from "other" PC's, you will also need to edit those links to match the "new" hostname.


If you wish to change back to the "original hostname", you will need to do the following:

Code:

sudo cp /etc/hosts.old /etc/hosts
sudo cp /etc/hostname.old /etc/hostname
sudo cp /etc/samba/smb.conf.old /etc/samba/smb.conf

The re-boot.


Remember to change back any links to this PC from "other" PC's,
you will need to edit those links again to match the "original" name.