From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG  Fri Sep 12 03:50:24 2008
Return-Path: <owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG>
Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34])
	by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 74E6A106564A
	for <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>;
	Fri, 12 Sep 2008 03:50:24 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from on@cs.ait.ac.th)
Received: from mail.cs.ait.ac.th (mail.cs.ait.ac.th [192.41.170.16])
	by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 236E98FC0A
	for <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>;
	Fri, 12 Sep 2008 03:50:22 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from on@cs.ait.ac.th)
Received: from banyan.cs.ait.ac.th (banyan.cs.ait.ac.th [192.41.170.5])
	by mail.cs.ait.ac.th (8.13.1/8.13.1) with ESMTP id m8C3oJCZ046318
	(version=TLSv1/SSLv3 cipher=DHE-RSA-AES256-SHA bits=256 verify=NO)
	for <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>;
	Fri, 12 Sep 2008 10:50:19 +0700 (ICT)
	(envelope-from on@banyan.cs.ait.ac.th)
Received: (from on@localhost)
	by banyan.cs.ait.ac.th (8.14.2/8.12.11) id m8C3oJfx070824;
	Fri, 12 Sep 2008 10:50:19 +0700 (ICT)
Date: Fri, 12 Sep 2008 10:50:19 +0700 (ICT)
Message-Id: <200809120350.m8C3oJfx070824@banyan.cs.ait.ac.th>
From: Olivier Nicole <on@cs.ait.ac.th>
To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
In-reply-to: <20080912034117.GA48495@shepherd> (message from Sahil Tandon on
	Thu, 11 Sep 2008 23:41:17 -0400)
References: <200809112249.05138.naylor.b.david@gmail.com>
	<20080912034117.GA48495@shepherd>
X-Virus-Scanned: on CSIM by amavisd-milter (http://www.amavis.org/)
Subject: Re: /etc/hosts not working
X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5
Precedence: list
List-Id: User questions <freebsd-questions.freebsd.org>
List-Unsubscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions>, 
	<mailto:freebsd-questions-request@freebsd.org?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive: <http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-questions>
List-Post: <mailto:freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>
List-Help: <mailto:freebsd-questions-request@freebsd.org?subject=help>
List-Subscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions>, 
	<mailto:freebsd-questions-request@freebsd.org?subject=subscribe>
X-List-Received-Date: Fri, 12 Sep 2008 03:50:24 -0000

> `ping google.com' actually pings 127.0.0.1 but `host google' returns 
> the actual IP addresses for google.  

ping will resolve the name using the mecanism defined in
/etc/nsswitch.conf, usually:

   hosts: files dns nis

try first /etc/hosts, then DNS, then NIS

But host(1) command is designed to query DNS exclusively.

Hence the different recults.

Olivier