renaming hpux machines

[Josh_13]

i have a machine using hpux 10.20 that i was given to rename. what files do i need to manipulate to do this?

i've changed the hosts files that nslookup uses, but i know that's not gonna change the system name.

[Sridhar Bhaskarla · Accepted solution]

Hi Josh,

Apart from /etc/hosts, you need to change /etc/rc.config.d/netconf and modify the hostname there.

You can use set_parms hostname to change it for you.

-Sri

[Uday_S_Ankolekar]

Hi,

I would suggest you to run set_parms to change hostname, Ip address etc..

Goodluck,

-USA..

[Helen French]

Josh,

U can use SAM for changing the hostname. Also use 'set_parms' for doing this.

Normally it changes the hostname in /etc/rc.config.d/netconf file.

Shiju

[Patrick Wallek]

Also be aware that if you are using DNS, you will need to change the hostname and/or IP address for this machine in DNS as well.

[G. Vrijhoeven]

Hi,

like the others have metioned set_parms, etc.

but i like to add:

banner `hostname`>/etc/issue
It could be that you must change the host name in applications or databases (oracle, ingresw etc.) mind the license files, they could be hostname related.



Gideon

[Josh_13]

thanx. after reading the first four i was able to take care of it. the last one sounds like something i need to check into. thanx for the heads up on that issue

[Mark Greene_1]

Putting the hostname (or ip address or system type and version) in the /etc/issue file is a security risk. You are giving away a wealth of information to crackers who can then take that info and exploit known holes in telnet/mail/ftp/etc. for your system. Especially if you've not disabled tftp. :-o

You can also disable the default telnet banner of the above info by adding a -b to the telnet line in /etc/inetd.conf. I you really want a banner, you can speficy -b /etc/issue and include in the issue file whatever string you want to uniquely identify your system without giving away too much. Usually the name of the primary application on the system is sufficient.

HTH
--
mark

[Josh_13]

Mark-
thanx for the heads up on the security issue. i'm sure that's going to need to be addressed. telnet has been turned off for most of the machines at brandeis as a security risk. nearly everything requires use of ssl

[Michael Tully]

Hi,

We have two systems on the outside of our firewall, both having only the hostname in the /etc/issue file. If the system name only means something as an identifier to your business I do not see any harm at all. This name will not mean anything to a hacker, but
the OS and revision will.

See these two links for further information.

http://forums.itrc.hp.com/cm/QuestionAnswer/1,11866,0x4499e7e60861d511abcd0090277a778c,00.htm

and
http://people.hp.se/stevesk/bastion11.html

HTH
-MIchael

[Alan Casey]

set_parms hostname

I have used this a few times and never had a problem.

[fg_1]

Run set_parms hostname: This will change the hostname.

Also modify the netconf file.

Make sure you also check all of your other systems for reference to the system you are renaming. This point is usually overlooked by most admins.

Good luck.

[Josh_13]

Frank Grosberger


December 20, 2001 13:28 PM GMT [ 8 pts ]

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Run set_parms hostname: This will change the hostname.

Also modify the netconf file.

Make sure you also check all of your other systems for reference to the system you are renaming. This point is usually overlooked by most admins.

Good luck.

**********************************************
thanx. we're actually renamed it because it's an old one we're resurrecting to get some things off of. it was retired and replaced with a newer machine that currently uses hte name it had been. it also happens to have had a static ip, so it was merely a matter of removing all refrences to it's ip and old name on the machine and then putting it onto the internal network. they also feel that 10.20 is more supported by third party than 11i, so it was decided to switch over to making this one the new monitor. we have one called BigBrother that's a refrence to 1984. i belive it's used as a monitor to make sure no one is running anything illegeal inside the system, so it's being upgraded and reconfigured from the former use of being the machine in charge of backing everything up. obviously we had rename it before putting it on the system so that even if we didn't remove all the calls to backing things up that it wouldn't cause havock with the machine we're now using. i'm not sure if it is going to double as a bastion host.