How-to: Change an Instance Host Name

Change the host name of an Oracle Linux Compute VM instance using the following steps.

Note

Changes made in the /etc/hosts and resolv.conf files revert to their original values when the instance restarts, unless you complete the steps outlined here.

Update the /etc/hostname file.
```
hostnamectl set-hostname <new name>
```
Edit the OCI configuration file and update the PRESERVE_HOSTINFO value to 2.
```
sudo vi /etc/oci-hostname.conf
PRESERVE_HOSTINFO=2
```
Edit the VNIC host name in the OCI Console.
- Go to Compute instances.
- Select the instance. Do one of the following:
  - Select the Networking tab. Navigate to Attached VNICs.
  - Under Resources, select Attached VNICs.
- For the target VNIC, from the Action Menu select Edit.
- Change the VNIC host name as needed.
- Select Save changes.
Reboot the instance.
Check the host name with hostname command.
Check the host name and the Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN) with the following commands.
```
host <ip address>
```
or
```
nslookup <ip address>
```

Note

The verification commands only work for a public IP address if the VCN is configured for public DNS resolution. Use the private IP address instead if public DNS isn't configured.

Important

The FQDN is configured using a combination of the VNIC host name, subnet name, and VCN name. For details on configuring DNS see: DNS in Your Virtual Cloud Network

Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Documentation

How-to: Change an Instance Host Name