/etc/hosts

[Socrates440]

I feel like I am asking a fairly stupid question, but can anybody tell me how to access and edit the /etc/hosts file. I feel like locating and opening it should be easy, yet I can not.

[nsnbm]

The way I open /etc/hosts is to first open an xterm or some sort of xterminal and then in that terminal do:

su -

and enter root's password. Then I use the editor vim to open /etc/hosts with the command:

vim /etc/hosts

whereupon I can amend the file. The terminal that you use, and the editor you use are up to you. As regards these sorts of questions, I don't think any are stupid ... most of us didn't know something sometime.

[marko]

vim is not really a very good editor for a beginner, it might be good to install the "nano" package and edit the file with nano

[Socrates440]

Thanks! That did it. I have actually been messing around a lot on VIM so I have gotten the hang of it.

[flyingfsck]

Or from another machine on a LAN:
ssh -X -C -c arcfour128 root@server "gedit /etc/hosts"

[stevea]

You may prefer the -Y to -X ssh option.

I wouldn't sweat the cipher selection '-c arcfour128', esp as /etc/hosts is user available info. Also arcfour (RC4) is considered to have weaknesses, maybe flyinf' chose it cuz it's fast.

I'd like to suggest that if you have a competent DNS service there is no need to ever diddle /etc/hosts.

[flyingfsck]

Yup, arcfour128 is the fastest way to run SSH and still have pretty decent security. On some versions you can select cypher 'none', but that is never a good idea, not even on a LAN.

[droidhacker]

Originally Posted by Socrates440

I feel like I am asking a fairly stupid question, but can anybody tell me how to access and edit the /etc/hosts file. I feel like locating and opening it should be easy, yet I can not.

This is the kind of post that makes me twitch. The file "/etc/hosts" can be located precisely at "/etc/hosts".

---------- Post added at 02:05 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:03 PM ----------

Originally Posted by marko

vim is not really a very good editor for a beginner, it might be good to install the "nano" package and edit the file with nano

It is precisely the fact that it is not good for a beginner, which is why it is GREAT for a beginner. Learn it now and be done.

[Socrates440]

Big thanks to everybody.