What is the recommended way to change the hostname?

[Walter Zambotti]

I have multiple n2s and I don't want them all to be called odroidn2.

 

What is the recommended way to change the hostname of an armbian system?

[mitu]

Using hostnamectl

 

Quote

sudo hostnamectl hostname <new_hostname>

 

[arman]

Found the actual codes executed in /usr/lib/armbian-config/jobs.sh, when you run

sudo armbian-config

Basically, it updates /etc/hostname, /etc/hosts

Here is my wrapped function:

change_hostname() {
    # modified from /usr/lib/armbian-config/jobs.sh
    # should be OK for debian as well(?)
    local hostname_current=$(cat /etc/hostname)

    if [[ -z $1 ]]; then
        echo "Current hostname: $hostname_current"
    else
        local hostname_new=$1
        sudo sed -i "s/$hostname_current/$hostname_new/g" /etc/hosts
        sudo sed -i "s/$hostname_current/$hostname_new/g" /etc/hostname
        # Temporarily change the hostname for the current session
        sudo hostname "$hostname_new"
        sudo systemctl restart systemd-logind.service
        echo "Logout to make effective the new hostname: $hostname_new"
    fi
}

 

[Igor]

13 hours ago, arman said:

 sudo systemctl restart systemd-logind.service

 

Will log you out automatically, at least when running desktop.

 

In case one is running Google Chrome, this will lock it out  This 10 years bug is still valid:
https://askubuntu.com/questions/476918/google-chrome-wont-start-after-changing-hostname

 

BTW. We are switching to armbian-config new generation soon and here this is done this way:

https://github.com/armbian/configng/blob/main/lib/armbian-configng/config.ng.system.sh#L33-L38

If you have ideas for improvements, welcome.