5 Methods to Get Hostname in Linux

A hostname is a unique identifier that is assigned to a device (host) connected to the network. It allows to distinguish one device from another on a specific network. This tutorial provides 5 methods to get hostname in Linux.

Method 1 - hostname command

The hostname command allows to display hostname in Linux. Run this command without any arguments:

hostname

Output example:

john-pc

Method 2 - uname command

The uname command displays information about the system. The -n option prints the hostname.

uname -n

Method 3 - hostnamectl command

The hostnamectl command allows to get short information about the system. Command also can be used to get or set the hostname.

hostnamectl --static

Method 4 - /proc/sys/kernel/hostname file

The /proc/sys/kernel/hostname file contains the hostname. Get it with the cat command:

cat /proc/sys/kernel/hostname

Method 5 - /etc/hostname

In most Linux distributions, the hostname is stored in the /etc/hostname file. Display it's content:

cat /etc/hostname