# hosts(5)

    NAME
         hosts - hostname to IP address database

    SYNOPSIS
         /etc/hosts

    DESCRIPTION
         The hosts  database  lists  the  IP  addresses  and  the  hostnames  that
         translate  to  these IP addresses.  It is used by nonamed(8) in a network
         without name servers.  A simple /etc/hosts may look like this:

              10.0.0.1       flotsam
              10.0.0.2       jetsam

         These two entries give names to two IP addresses.  The file  may  contain
         comments marked with '#'.

         You can have aliases (more hostnames on the same line) to give a  machine
         more than one name, like www, if you run a web server on one.

         If your PC is Internet connected then you can specify the name  server(s)
         to get more information from with %nameserver entries:

              172.16.24.3    %nameserver    # dns1.example.com
              172.16.24.6    %nameserver    # dns2.example.com

         Read nonamed(8) for all the details on special  host  file  entries  that
         configure  nonamed for use on the Internet, and on home machines that are
         occasionally connected to the Internet.

    FILES

         /etc/hosts     Hosts database.

    SEE ALSO
         ethers(5), nonamed(8), dhcpd(8), boot(8).

    AUTHOR
         Kees J. Bot (kjb@cs.vu.nl)