Assume you have configured testing environment with WebSphere Application Server V8.0 on SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 (SLES 11), and you want to change hostname for some reason - like use cloned VM to test CIM.

Edit /etc/HOSTNAME file (as root):

ilcbuild@example:~> su -
Password:
example:~ # vi /etc/HOSTNAME
					

Delete old name and set new value, for example test317.java.boot.by. Save and close the file.

example:~ # cat /etc/HOSTNAME
test317.java.boot.by
example:~ #
					

Type the following commands:

example:~ # hostname test317.java.boot.by
example:~ # hostname
test317.java.boot.by
example:~ #
					

Now, you need to edit /etc/hosts file.

example:~ # vi /etc/hosts
					

Change all old hostnames with newer one.

example:~ # cat /etc/hosts
#
# hosts         This file describes a number of hostname-to-address
#               mappings for the TCP/IP subsystem.  It is mostly
#               used at boot time, when no name servers are running.
#               On small systems, this file can be used instead of a
#               "named" name server.
# Syntax:
#
# IP-Address  Full-Qualified-Hostname  Short-Hostname
#

127.0.0.1       localhost

# special IPv6 addresses
::1             localhost ipv6-localhost ipv6-loopback

fe00::0         ipv6-localnet

ff00::0         ipv6-mcastprefix
ff02::1         ipv6-allnodes
ff02::2         ipv6-allrouters
ff02::3         ipv6-allhosts

192.168.87.128 test317.java.boot.by test317

					

Re-login with SSH - shell prompt will have the new hostname now:

Last login: Sat May 18 20:17:05 2013 from 172.16.113.92
ilcbuild@test317:~>