[gentoo-user] Slow startx - Why does hostname -f hang?

[Urs Schütz]

Hi list

While hunting down slow startx times (12-16s instead the usual 2-5s) I 
found that "hostname -f" tries to resolve the hostname. This is a slow 
process (timeout?):

urs@cadd ~ $ time hostname -v
gethostname()=`cadd'
cadd

real    0m0.001s
user    0m0.000s
sys     0m0.001s

urs@cadd ~ $ time hostname -v -f
gethostname()=`cadd'
Resolving `cadd' ...
Result: h_name=`cadd'
Result: h_addr_list=`127.0.0.1'
cadd

real    0m10.011s
user    0m0.000s
sys     0m0.001s

urs@cadd ~ $ man hostname
...snip...
  -f, --fqdn, --long
               Display the FQDN (Fully Qualified Domain Name). A FQDN 
consists
               of  a  short  host  name and the DNS domain name. Unless 
you are
               using bind or NIS for host lookups you can change the 
FQDN  and
               the  DNS  domain  name  (which  is  part  of  the  FQDN) 
  in the
               /etc/hosts file.
...snip...

My /etc/hosts.conf orders hosts before bind:
urs@cadd ~ $ grep order  /etc/host.conf
# recognized are order, trim, mdns, multi, nospoof, spoof, and reorder.
order hosts, bind

I do not run any NIS or bind services.

I solved the slow startx by replacing "hostname -f" by "hostname" in the 
/usr/bin/startx script, but still feel that I'm missing the real cause 
for the slow hostname lookup.

I do not have a DNS domain name definition in /etc/hosts.
I do run networkmanager.
Any hints where to search?

What is the recommended way for /etc/hosts? I'm at a simple home 
network, behind a NAT cable modem, and do not have a dns domain name.

Thanks for any hints.
Urs