#1010274 hostname(1) man page: -A / --all-fqdns description confuses users

Package:
hostname
Source:
hostname
Description:
utility to set/show the host name or domain name
Submitter:
Vincent Lefevre
Date:
2026-01-10 11:40:04 UTC
Severity:
minor
#1010274#5
Date:
2022-04-27 15:11:54 UTC
From:
To:
The -A / --all-fqdns description in the hostname(1) man page confuses
users. For instance:

https://lists.debian.org/debian-user/2022/04/msg00755.html

It says "Displays all FQDNs of the machine." This should be something
like:

  Displays the FQDNs associated with all configured network interfaces.

And somewhere in the paragraph, add something like:

  Note that this may be different from the FQDN of the machine,
  provided by -f.

Moreover, in the -f / --fqdn / --long description:

  See the warnings in section THE FQDN above und use
  hostname --all-fqdns instead wherever possible.

This is a bad advice! On my laptop (which is on a local network
at home), "hostname -A" just outputs a blank line. In a case like
a local network, there is no point in having a reverse for network
interfaces. On this other hand, "hostname -f" is typically useful
to get the domain part of Message-IDs generated on the machine,
for instance.
#1010274#10
Date:
2026-01-10 10:08:19 UTC
From:
To:
Es gibt eine Familienspende in Höhe von 1.850.000,00 USD von Cheng Charlie
Saephan. Bitte antworten Sie für weitere Informationen. Denken Sie daran,
Ihrer Familie und den Bedürftigen in Ihrer Umgebung Gutes zu tun.

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