Gentoo Archives: gentoo-user

From: Grant Taylor <gtaylor@×××××××××××××××××××××.net>
To: gentoo-user@l.g.o
Subject: Re: [gentoo-user] Why do we add the local host name to the 127.0.0.1 / ::1 entry in the /etc/hosts file?
Date: Thu, 25 Feb 2021 02:50:42
Message-Id: 9b62c79e-0b0e-d02a-5099-ee1b82734996@spamtrap.tnetconsulting.net
In Reply to: Re: [gentoo-user] Why do we add the local host name to the 127.0.0.1 / ::1 entry in the /etc/hosts file? by Peter Humphrey
1 On 2/24/21 7:37 PM, Peter Humphrey wrote:
2 > Isn't it a matter of simple logic?
3
4 No. It is not. Consider my question to be calling the logic into
5 question. Or at least asking for what the logic was to be explained.
6
7 > The loopback address is just that: the machine talking to itself, with
8 > no reference to the outside world. Whereas, while talking to other
9 > machines on the network its address is that of the interface. There's
10 > no connection between those two.
11
12 That doesn't explain /why/ the local host name is added to the line
13 containing 127.0.0.1 and / or ::1.
14
15 Remember, that /all/ traffic to a local IP, of any interface, runs
16 through the loopback interface.
17
18 Try pinging your Ethernet / WiFi IP address in one window and then
19 shutting the lo interface down. The pings will stop responding. Then
20 they will start again when you turn the lo interface back up.
21
22 So, even if you do (questionably) connect to the IP address of the
23 Ethernet / WiFi adapter instead of 127.0.0.1 / ::1 you are still going
24 through the lo interface.
25
26 So, again, will someone please explain why the Gentoo AMD64 Handbook ~>
27 Gentoo (at large) says to add the local host name to the 127.0.0.1 (or
28 ::1) entry in the /etc/hosts file? What was the thought process behind
29 that?
30
31
32
33 --
34 Grant. . . .
35 unix || die

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