1.14.2.1 Hostname and Domain Name
The hostname is the computer's name in the network. The domain name is the name of
the network. A hostname and domain are proposed by default. If your system is part
of a network, the hostname has to be unique in this network, whereas the domain name
has to be common to all hosts on the network.
In many networks, the system receives its name over DHCP. In this case it is not nec-
essary to modify the proposed hostname and domain name. Select Change Hostname
via DHCP instead. To be able to access your system using this hostname, even when
it is not connected to the network, select Assign Hostname to Loopback IP. Do not enable
this option when your machine provides network services. If you often change networks
without restarting the desktop environment (e.g. when switching between different
WLANs), do not enable this option either, because the desktop system may get confused
when the hostname in /etc/hosts changes.
To change hostname settings at any time after installation, use YaST Network Devices
> Network Settings. For more information, see Section 13.4.1, “Conguring the Network
Card with YaST” (page 241).
1.14.2.2 Network Conguration
If you are installing openSUSE on a laptop computer, Interfaces Controlled by Network-
Manager is enabled. NetworkManager is a tool that enables automatic connection with
minimal user intervention. It is ideal for WLAN and mobile computing. If you want to
use the traditional method without NetworkManager, click Disable NetworkManager.
Find detailed information about NetworkManager in Chapter 25, Using NetworkMan-
ager (page 449). If you are installing openSUSE on any other type of machine, the tra-
ditional method without NetworkManager is selected by default. This conguration
step also lets you congure the network devices of your system and make security set-
tings, for example, for a rewall or proxy.
The network can also be congured after the system installation has been completed.
If you skip it now, your system is left ofine unable to retrieve any available updates.
To congure your network connection later, select Skip Conguration and click Next.
The following network settings can be congured in this step:
32 Reference
