Script Test [OT]

[Cameron Simpson]

On 08Sep2008 21:04, Kevin J. Cummings <cummings at kjchome.homeip.net> wrote:
> Alan Evans wrote:
>> On Mon, Sep 8, 2008 at 6:40 AM, Steven Tardy <sjt5 at its.msstate.edu> wrote:
>>> kwhiskerz wrote:
>>> man hostid
>>
>> On my Fedora 9...
>> $ hostid
>> 00000000
>>
>> Now I haven't bothered to check any other machines, but my initial
>> impression is that this is not going to work...
>
> I just checked the hostids on my 2 primary machines on the same local  
> network.  They just seem to be encodings of the machine's IP addresses.  
> And since both are PC class machines, the addresses look to be syllable 
> swapped (but not byte swapped).
>
> 192.168.6.94 and 192.168.6.106
> a8c05e06     and a8c06a06
>
> So, I have to ask, does the machine you tried it on have an IP address?

So, let us turn to the docs: man hostid says:

  hostid - print the numeric identifier for the current host
  [...]
  The full documentation for hostid is maintained as  a  Texinfo  manual
  [...]

Gah. I hate this info-so-no-f'n-man-page rubbish!
But let's go: info hostid:
  
  21.4 `hostid': Print numeric host identifier.
  =============================================
  `hostid' prints the numeric identifier of the current host in
  hexadecimal.  This command accepts no arguments.  The only options are
  `--help' and `--version'.  *Note Common options::.
     For example, here's what it prints on one system I use:
       $ hostid
       1bac013d
   On that system, the 32-bit quantity happens to be closely related to the
   system's Internet address, but that isn't always the case.

Gah! Again!

I don't think I'd rely on hostid for anything:-(

Cheers,
-- 
Cameron Simpson <cs at zip.com.au> DoD#743
http://www.cskk.ezoshosting.com/cs/

A good newspaper is never good enough, but a lousy newspaper is a joy
forever.        - Garrison Keillor