UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

Hi People!
I've just got a HP-UX system dumped on me. I've started it, followed all the install/setup questions, and everything was going ok, right upto when going into the desktop enviroment I got the message "The Desktop Messaging System Could Not Be Started".

Now I've checked the /etc/hosts file and their are 3 entries:

192.168.0.1 coms.mshome.net coms
192.168.0.125 hpunix hpunix
127.0.0.1 localhost loopback

In falesafe mode I can ping 192.168.0.125 but cannot ping hpunix (the name of the system). I presume I've got to fix this before the desktop will work.

Any ideas whats gone wrong?

Cheers
Phil

If you want /etc/hosts to work, you may need to modify the "hosts" line in /etc/nsswitch.conf. What to put depends on your setup. But maybe "files dns" would be right for you.

I'm guessing I want /etc/hosts to work as we dont have a DNS server. I'm in a windows workgroup not a domain.

All I really want to do is get into the desktop enviroment...

I'll check out /etc/nsswitch.conf

cheers

OK /etc/nsswitch.conf does not exist on the system.

Had a look in resolv.conf at someone elses suggestion, and it had 2 entries,
domain mshome.net
nameserver 192.168.0.1

192.168.0.1 is the DHCP server, totally confused by the domain, and should I have an entry for this system?

Windows may be providing DNS.

Post the ouput from the following commands:

ls -l /etc/nsswitch.*
uname -a

Also, does "man nsswitch.conf" give you a man page?

Hi,
ls -l /etc/nsswitch.* gave me a list of 5 files:

nsswitch.compat
nsswitch.files
nsswitch.hp-defaults
nsswitch.nis
nsswitch.nisplus

uname -a gave the following info:
HP-UX hpunix B.11.11 U 9000/712 2004698268 unlimited_user license

And man nsswitch.conf did give me a man page.....large isnt it!

It looks like nsswitch.files can be used to create a nsswitch.conf file, but i'm uncertain as to the changes needed at the moment.

The envioment i'm in is a windows Workgroup with a WinXP system running internet connection shareing. So that XP system is providing IP addresses etc for the network.

Thanks for any help you can give ;-)
Phil

cd /etc
cp nsswitch.files nsswitch.conf

would be a good starting point.