56 lines
1.8 KiB
Markdown
56 lines
1.8 KiB
Markdown
---
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title: Fix macOS Terminal Host Name Showing IP Segments Under Private DNS
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tags:
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- macos
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- dns
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- terminal
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author:
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name: Zihlu Wang
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email: real@zihluwang.me
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---
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In some enterprise or home private network environments, reverse DNS lookups may resolve a device's private IP to a hostname starting with `192`, `172`, or `10`. When this happens, the macOS terminal prompt changes from the normal `user@MacBook-Pro` to something like `user@192-168-1-100`, which can be distracting.
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## Cause
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When starting a terminal session, macOS performs a reverse DNS lookup to determine the hostname for the current IP address. If the private DNS server returns a hostname derived from IP octets (e.g. `192-168-1-100.example.com`), the system adopts it as the Host Name and the terminal prompt reflects it.
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## Fix
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Use the built-in `scutil` (System Configuration Utility) to pin the Host Name to your preferred value.
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### Check Current State
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```shell
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# View the current Host Name (may be empty or overridden by DNS)
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scutil --get HostName
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# View the local Bonjour name
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scutil --get LocalHostName
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# View the computer name shown in Finder
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scutil --get ComputerName
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```
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### Set the Host Name
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```shell
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sudo scutil --set HostName "MacBook-Pro"
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```
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Prefer a name without spaces or special characters, such as `MacBook-Pro`, `My-Mac`, or your device serial number.
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### Verify
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Open a new terminal window — the value after `@` in the prompt should now show your chosen hostname.
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```shell
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scutil --get HostName
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# Output: MacBook-Pro
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```
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## Notes
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- `HostName` only affects the network-level hostname. `LocalHostName` (Bonjour) and `ComputerName` (Finder display) are managed independently.
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- If the issue returns after a reboot, check `/etc/hosts` for conflicting entries or verify whether the DHCP/DNS server continues to push an undesired hostname.
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