bsd man page for hosts

HOSTS(5)							File Formats Manual							  HOSTS(5)

NAME
       hosts - host name data base

DESCRIPTION
       The  hosts file contains information regarding the known hosts on the network.  For each host a single line should be present with the fol-
       lowing information:

       official host name
       Internet address
       aliases

       Items are separated by any number of blanks and/or tab characters.  A ``#'' indicates the beginning of a comment; characters up to the  end
       of the line are not interpreted by routines which search the file.

       When using the name server named(8), this file provides a backup when the name server is not running.  For the name server, it is suggested
       that only a few addresses be included in this file.  These include  address for the local interfaces that ifconfig(8C) needs at	boot  time
       and a few machines on the local network.

       This  file may be created from the official host data base maintained at the Network Information Control Center (NIC), though local changes
       may be required to bring it up to date regarding unofficial aliases and/or unknown hosts.  As the data base maintained  at  NIC	is  incom-
       plete, use of the name server is recommend for sites on the DARPA Internet.

       Network	addresses  are	specified  in the conventional ``.'' notation using the inet_addr() routine from the Internet address manipulation
       library, inet(3N).  Host names may contain any printable character other than a field delimiter, newline, or comment character.

FILES
       /etc/hosts

SEE ALSO
       gethostbyname(3N), ifconfig(8C), named(8)
       Name Server Operations Guide for BIND

4.2 Berkeley Distribution					   May 14, 1986 							  HOSTS(5)