How To Change Hostname on openSUSE

In this tutorial, we will show you how to change Hostname on openSUSE. A hostname in Linux is a label assigned to a machine that is connected to a network. This label, which is unique for each device within a network, aids in identifying and locating a machine in a networked environment. There are three types of hostnames in Linux: transient, static, and pretty. The transient hostname is a temporary hostname set for the current session. The static hostname, also known as the kernel hostname, is the one set at boot and doesn‘t change unless explicitly changed. The pretty hostname is a free-form UTF8 hostname for presentation to the user.

It’s important to note that hostnames should be in lowercase. This is because the Internet standards (RFCs) for protocols specify that labels may contain only the ASCII letters ‘a’ through ‘z’ (in a case-insensitive manner), the digits ‘0’ through ‘9′, and the hyphen-minus character (‘-‘).

This article assumes you have at least basic knowledge of Linux, know how to use the shell, and most importantly, you host your site on your own VPS. The installation is quite simple and assumes you are running in the root account, if not you may need to add ‘sudo‘ to the commands to get root privileges. I will show you the step-by-step change of Hostname on openSUSE.

Prerequisites

• A server running one of the following operating systems: openSUSE.
• It’s recommended that you use a fresh OS install to prevent any potential issues.
• You will need access to the terminal to execute commands. openSUSE provides the Terminal application for this purpose. It can be found in your Applications menu.
• You’ll need an active internet connection.
• You need access to a user account with sudo privileges. The sudo command allows you to run programs with the security privileges of another user (by default, the superuser). This is necessary for installing packages and making system-wide changes.

Change Hostname on openSUSE

Step 1. Checking the Current Hostname.

Before changing the hostname, it’s essential to know the current one. You can check the current hostname by using the hostname or hostnamectl command in the terminal. Simply open the terminal and type:

hostname

or

hostnamectl

The hostname command will display the current hostname, while hostnamectl will provide more detailed information about the system, including the hostname.

Step 2. Change Hostname on openSUSE Linux.

• Changing the Hostname Using the hostnamectl Command.

The hostnamectl command is a straightforward way to change the hostname in openSUSE Linux. Here’s a step-by-step guide:

1. Open the terminal.
2. Type the following command, replacing new_hostname with your desired hostname:

sudo hostnamectl set-hostname new_hostname

3. Enter your password when prompted.

After executing this command, you’ll need to start a new shell session to see the change in the shell prompt.

• Changing the Hostname by Editing the /etc/hostname File.

Another method to change the hostname is by editing the /etc/hostname file. Here’s how to do it:

1. Open the terminal.
2. Type the following command to open the /etc/hostname file in a text editor:

sudo nano /etc/hostname

3. Replace the current hostname with your desired hostname.
4. Save and close the file.

After changing the hostname, you should also update the /etc/hosts file to reflect the new hostname. This can be done by opening the file with sudo nano /etc/hosts and replacing the old hostname with the new one.

Step 4. Verifying the Change Hostname.

After changing the hostname, it’s important to verify the change. You can do this by using the hostname or hostnamectl command in the terminal, as explained in the “Checking the Current Hostname” section.

If you encounter any issues, ensure that you have followed the steps correctly and have the necessary permissions to change the hostname. If the problem persists, consult the openSUSE Linux documentation or seek help from the openSUSE community.

Congratulations! You have successfully changed your Hostname. Thanks for using this tutorial to change of Hostname on your openSUSE system. For additional or useful information, we recommend you check the official openSUSE website.