Computer Science
GETHOSTNAME(2) Linux Programmer's Manual GETHOSTNAME(2)
NAME
gethostname, sethostname - get/set host name
SYNOPSIS
#include <unistd.h>
int gethostname(char *name, size_t len);
int sethostname(const char *name, size_t len);
DESCRIPTION
These functions are used to access or to change the host
name of the current processor.
RETURN VALUE
On success, zero is returned. On error, -1 is returned,
and errno is set appropriately.
ERRORS
EINVAL len is negative or, for sethostname, len is larger
than the maximum allowed size, or, for gethostname
on Linux/i386, len is smaller than the actual size.
EPERM For sethostname, the caller was not the superuser.
EFAULT name is an invalid address.
CONFORMING TO
SVr4, 4.4BSD (this function first appeared in 4.2BSD).
POSIX.1 does not define these functions, but ISO/IEC
9945-1:1990 mentions them in B.4.4.1.
BUGS
Some other implementations of gethostname successfully
return len bytes even if name is longer. Linux/Alpha com-
plies with this behaviour. Linux/i386, however, returns
EINVAL in this case (as of DLL 4.6.27 libraries).
NOTES
Under Linux/Alpha, gethostname is a system call. Under
Linux/i386, gethostname is implemented at the library
level by calling uname(2).
SEE ALSO
getdomainname(2), setdomainname(2), uname(2)
Linux 1.3.6 22 July 1995 1
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