The hosts configuration file
The Linux hosts file is a simple text file that is used to map hostnames to IP addresses. It is located in the /etc directory. The file contains a list of IP addresses and their corresponding hostnames. When a user tries to access a hostname, the system checks the hosts file to determine the IP address associated with that hostname.
The hosts file is used first in the Domain Name System (DNS) server’s resolution process. If a hostname is not found in the DNS server, the system checks the hosts file for a mapping. This can be useful in situations where a specific hostname needs to be redirected to a different IP address or when you want to test a website before it is made live.
The hosts file consists of several columns of data, separated by whitespace. The first column contains the IP address, while the second column contains the hostname. Additional columns can be used to specify aliases for the hostname. For example, the following line in...
