We noticed recently that Ubuntu's /bin/hostname has this option
-b, --boot set default hostname if none available
and uses it in /etc/init/hostname.conf.
However, the GNU version from coreutils-1.8 lacks that option.
Unfortunately, Ubuntu's startup script puts /usr/local/bin ahead of
/bin and /usr/bin, thus getting a version of hostname that chokes on
the -b option. We patched the configuration file to force an explicit
path:
exec /bin/hostname -b -F /etc/hostname
Would it be reasonable to consider adding support in coreutils for the -b
option?
At my site, I have
% cat /etc/lsb-release
DISTRIB_ID=Ubuntu
DISTRIB_RELEASE=9.10
DISTRIB_CODENAME=karmic
DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION="Ubuntu 9.10"
% uname -r
2.6.31-21-generic-pae
% /bin/hostname --version
hostname 2.95
[I'm not urging that this be done, merely that it be discussed. In my
view, Ubuntu is at fault for introducing nonstandard options, and
messing up the boot PATH, and failing to use explicit paths on
critical boot-time commands. We had issues a few months ago with GNU
inetutils that have since been resolved by adding support in inetutils
for an option expected by Ubuntu.]
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- Nelson H. F. Beebe Tel: +1 801 581 5254 -
- University of Utah FAX: +1 801 581 4148 -
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- 155 S 1400 E RM 233 be...@acm.org be...@computer.org -
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