Whenever I go on a network where the DHCP server assigns hostnames then it overrides the settings I've set for my hostname on my Mac in the "Sharing" section of System Preferences.
How do I stop this behaviour from occurring and always have the same hostname set under Snow Leopard?
Set it in the Terminal with:
sudo scutil --set HostName <putinyourhostname_or_fqdn_here>
like in:
sudo scutil --set HostName server1.mynetwork.com
In short: there is an auto-magic behavior that Mac OS uses, by default.
You can turn it off in /etc/hostconfig.
http://excitedcuriosity.wordpress.com/2007/08/24/mac-os-x-hostname-determination/
I like the answer by Jack M., but it doesn't work in many environments of the real-world DHCP environments, because you do not have a pre-existing relationship with the DHCP server. Only in a home setup or a corporate setup (where the IT people are helpful), can you get your desired hostname via DHCP.
In /etc/hostconfig add something like this:
HOSTNAME=your_hostname.your_domain.your_tld
If you want to set it at automatic again, either remove the line or set it to -AUTOMATIC-
Depending on how your DHCP is set up, you may be able to use the "DHCP client ID".
If your DHCP server supports it, your hostname will be used for your machine.
Actually it's not related to DHCP. OS X checks the reverse DNS record of your IP and if there's one it's applied as your hostname.
The Sharing panel doesn't necessarily set your hostname, it set's your bonjour host name, and is the default hostname. DHCP can and probably will override the default hostname. I don't know of anyway to override it, but maybe someone else does.
What I have done in a similiar situation is set up a DYNDNS account, and load the DYNDNS updater on your system. Then you can use the DYNDNS hostname from anywhere, including your local lan without worrying about what your dhcp hostname is...
