How I can change the localhost [mike@localhost mike]$ to something else.

I remember I did before but forget . How that can be done globally and constantly, so I don't need to change it every time.

Thanks

look at the file /etc/hosts

and change both instances of localhost. Some apps rely on the hostname localhost, but this should work

127.0.0.1 localhost.localdomain bongothewhhippet

because bongothewhippet is an alias here for locahost.

#hostname newhostname

type at
#neat
change host name

is there any symbols that can't be included in a hostname? Right now I have one that includes a _ and a ?. Linux runs fine, but when booting up LPD says something about an invalid hostname.

http://www.faqs.org/ftp/rfc/rfc952.txt

I know its an old RFC, but AFAIK its still what the root level servers are going by, therefor so are we...

RFC 952 defines the vaild characters that a hostname can have. the imporant text goes something like:


ASSUMPTIONS

1. A "name" (Net, Host, Gateway, or Domain name) is a text string up
to 24 characters drawn from the alphabet (A-Z), digits (0-9), minus
sign (-), and period (.). Note that periods are only allowed when
they serve to delimit components of "domain style names". (See
RFC-921, "Domain Name System Implementation Schedule", for
background). No blank or space characters are permitted as part of a
name. No distinction is made between upper and lower case. The first
character must be an alpha character. ......

Windows XP AFAIK will let you use stuff like "_" and "?" without complaining. Typical of M$.