hosts(4N)                        (TCP/IP)                         hosts(4N)


   NAME
         hosts - host name data base

   SYNOPSIS
         /etc/hosts

   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:
               Internet-address official-host-name aliases

         Items are separated by any number of SPACE 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
         using the inet_addr routine from the Internet address manipulation
         library, inet(3N).  Host names may contain any printable character
         other than a field delimiter, NEWLINE, or comment character.

   EXAMPLE
         Here is a typical line from the /etc/hosts file:

               192.9.1.20        gaia                        # John Smith

   FILES
         /etc/hosts

   SEE ALSO
         gethostent(3N), inet(3N).


















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