Change the Hostname on Ubuntu

What is a hostname?

The hostname is the name of your computer on a network. It shows in the terminal prompt, in logs and in how other machines see yours. People change it after a rebrand, to follow a naming rule, or to make a server easier to recognise.

Before you change it

• Back up important files and config.
• Check that the new name does not clash with another machine on the network.
• Find the services that use the old name and plan to update them.
• Watch the system logs after the change.

Steps

1. Check the current hostname:

hostname

1. Set the new one. Replace new-hostname with your name:

sudo hostnamectl set-hostname new-hostname

1. Open the hosts file:

sudo nano /etc/hosts

Find the line with the old name and change it to the new name. Save the file.

1. Reboot so every service picks up the change:

sudo reboot

1. After the reboot, run hostname again to confirm.

Quick recap

• hostnamectl set-hostname changes the name.
• Update /etc/hosts as well.
• Reboot, then check with hostname.