new to linux
When i show computers my BOINC account my Linux computer name shows "localhost.localdomain" for it's name.

However when i show the XP machine the computer name GPS-1 is showen ok.

is there some way to show what the computer says it's name is ?
thanks for any help on this problem

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You have got to setup a hostname for your system. Please look into this thread : http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/forum_thread.php?id=343

So far I know, the method of setting a ip address and a hostname differs on the used linux distro.

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Here is a little more history on the system i am using
linux Ubuntu ver. 5.10

the original HOSTS file was as follows and showed computer name as localhost.localdomain
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127.0.0.1 localhost.localdomain COMPUTER2
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I changed the original HOSTS file to the following and all works ok and the computer name shows as COMPUTER2.
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127.0.0.1 localhost
165.2.10.2 COMPUTER2

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However i am using DHCP and don't always have a static IP.
Is there a way i can change the HOSTS file so i can use DHCP with a changing IP address ?

Thanks Dotsch for the URL it helps alittle
kent

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However i am using DHCP and don't always have a static IP.
Is there a way i can change the HOSTS file so i can use DHCP with a changing IP address ?

Yes. Some posible solutions :

- You can configure your DHCP server that is host everytime gets the same IP.
- Configure a DNS server and setup your host, that it uses the DNS. So your IP and hostname will differ, but the name will always resolved.
- Make a skript, which starts at the boot after the dhcp client, which reads out the IP from the interface and configure your hostname in the /etc/hosts
- Make a virtual interface with a IP in a unused range, and confgiure your hostname and IP on this virtual IP in the /etc/hosts

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