How to Quickly Change the Hostname in CentOS VMs
Learn step‑by‑step how to modify a CentOS virtual machine’s hostname by editing /etc/hostname and /etc/hosts, verifying changes with cat, and restarting the system to apply the new name, with clear screenshots and tips for avoiding common pitfalls.
Some CentOS virtual machines have a long default hostname (e.g., localhost.localdomain) that users may want to simplify.
In CentOS, the hostname is stored in the /etc/hostname file. Follow these steps to change it:
Log into the VM and run vi /etc/hostname to open the file. Replace the existing name with the desired one (e.g., slave2).
After editing, press Esc and type :wq! to save and exit. Verify the change with cat /etc/hostname.
Optionally edit /etc/hosts to map the new hostname to the VM’s IP address. Open the file with vi /etc/hosts and add a line such as 202.118.86.90 slave2.
Check the /etc/hosts file with cat /etc/hosts to ensure the entry is correct.
Reboot the VM so the new hostname takes effect: shutdown -r now.
After the reboot, verify that the hostname has changed (e.g., to slave2).
For consistency and to avoid future confusion, it is recommended to update both /etc/hostname and /etc/hosts when changing a CentOS VM’s hostname.
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