Script to match hostname to localhostname or computername...

[jkleinhenz-stm]

I have a seemingly common issue.

When checking the hostnames with scutil --get ComputerName and it's LocalHostName and HostName commands, the HostName is not always set. As such, the hostname tends to be set to some random name.

Is there a command I can use that will automatically match the HostName to a ComputerName or LocalHostName variable? I'd like to push this out remotely in bulk over ARD.

[mm2270 · Accepted solution]

Hi. You have half the answer already in your post. Since you can grab the ComputerName from the Mac in a script with:

scutil --get ComputerName

You can use that as a variable to set the HostName string to the same with a scutil --set command. For example:

#!/bin/sh

## This creates a variable string with the result of the Computer Name
CompName=$(scutil --get ComputerName)

## Now use that to set the HostName to match the ComputerName string
scutil --set HostName "$CompName"

Keep in mind the above is very simplistic. It does no error checking or making sure the ComputerName is even set to something valid (though I don't know if such a check would be needed), but it is the basic framework of how you would do this.

You could also simplify this further with a one-liner if needed:

scutil --set HostName "$(scutil --get ComputerName)"

[gabriel_martine]

Here is the basic script we use. It seems to have fixed a few random issues we were having.

#!/bin/sh
#!/bin/bash



# Get the Computer name using scutil

setName=`scutil --get ComputerName`



scutil --set LocalHostName ${setName}
scutil --set HostName ${setName}

echo HostName and LocalHostName set to ${setName}

exit 0

[jkleinhenz-stm]

thanks that was exactly what I needed (scutil --set HostName "$(scutil --get ComputerName)") The simpler the better.

any thought on matching the DNS Name in ARD to the computername or hostname via a script? Or is this something that has to be fixed on the dhcp/dns server side? Or after making the hostname change, does it just take a while for the changes to reflect in DNS? Such as a DHCP Renewal?

[mm2270]

What you're describing is a DHCP issue. Hostnames, once picked up, often get retained within DHCP and will get assigned to the machine that picks up that IP the next time. Its a pain no doubt. Ask anyone that has used ARD and they will say they've seen the same thing.
A DHCP renewal may help, but I don't know for sure to be honest.

[donmontalvo]

https://jamfnation.jamfsoftware.com/discussion.html?id=3153#responseChild14747