openssh-2.9p2, short hostnames

[Hans Werner Strube]

>
> > > For systems where the local hostname is obtained as a short name without
> > > domain, there should be a ssh_config option "DefaultDomain" as in ssh-3.x
> > > from ssh.com.
> > Below there is a patch which implements this. But it does not abort (as
> > ssh-3.x does) if the host name is not FQDN, since within the local net
> > there is no need for this. By making the config entry conditional for names
> > with dots, a short "chost" name can be used within the local net and the
> > FQDN otherwise:
> > Host *.*
> >    DefaultDomain my.local.net
> > Host *
> > #  no DefaultDomain
> 
> I don't think it is a good idea to hack _ssh_ to support this.  Why don't
> you use FQDN's as hostnames like most of the other people?

For instance, because FQDNs blow up the netgroup entries. Then large
netgroups would be difficult to treat with NIS, since the NIS ndbm records
are limited to 1024 bytes. This is a historical burden of Solaris. Also it
is usually much more convenient to work with short names *within* a local
network. (Well, I know, in principle you are right, and some PD programs
have difficulties constructing the FQDN then ...)