[Voyage-linux] Setting a network name.

[Robert Rawlins - Think Blue]

Gustin,

Thanks for the useful reply!

These systems are generally connected to networks that we don’t have control over, not just our own internal networks so the more complex DNS configuration isn’t really an option. Replicating this NetBios concept doesn’t sound half bad.

I've just done a quick bit of reading on pump and it seems a few people have had issues with is and are changing over to other options, would you mind explaining why you do this? Is it something you would advocate I do?

What is the installation process like? Will apt-getting the new dhcp client do everything I need it to or is it a more involved change?

Thanks Gustin,

Robert

-----Original Message-----
From: Gustin Johnson [mailto:gustin at echostar.ca] 
Sent: 08 May 2009 10:07
To: Robert Rawlins - Think Blue
Cc: voyage-linux at voyage.hk
Subject: Re: [Voyage-linux] Setting a network name.

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Robert Rawlins - Think Blue wrote:
> Hello Guys,
> 
>  
> 
> I’m looking for some advice on how to set a network ‘name’ for my voyage
> system. At the moment I have /etc/network/interfaces looking like so,
> the standard setup:
> 
>  
> 
> auto eth0
> 
> iface eth0 inet dhcp
> 
>  
> 
> Now, when looking at all devices which are connected to my router, all
> of my windows based devices all have ‘names’ listed in the connected LAN
> devices list which makes them very easy to identify, such as ‘Rob’s PC’
> or ‘Email Server 1’, however, the Linux devices display no name, this
> becomes a problem when we have several devices connected on a DHCP and
> I’m trying to identity which is which so I can grab the IP that’s been
> assigned and SSH in.
> 
> Is it possible to set a name for the device so it will display as ‘My
> Voyage Box’ or something to that effect? I’d guess it’s going to involve
> changing the above but I have no idea what too.
> 
Windows machines do a NetBIOS broadcast.  You can achieve this with
Samba.  A better solution is to implement DNS on your network.

You can set the hostname via the hostname command or changing the value
in /etc/hostname.  This only really effects the command prompt, which is
handy so you know what computer you are ssh'd in to.

If you replace pump (which I do on all of my Voyage systems) with
dhcp3-client you can specify a hostname passed to the DHCP server (hint:
/etc/dhcp3/dhclient.conf).  Some DHCP servers will do something useful
with info, some do not.  So YMMV.

It really boils down to organization.  We have a full forward and
reverse DNS setup for our LAN (and our clients).  Documentation is also
critical, but it follows from a solid plan for your network.
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