The Resolver Library

The Resolver Library: "6.1.1. The host.conf File

The /etc/host.conf tells the older Linux standard library resolver functions which services to use, and in what order.

Options in host.conf must appear on separate lines. Fields may be separated by white space (spaces or tabs). A hash sign (#) introduces a comment that extends to the next newline. The following options are available:

order
This option determines the order in which the resolving services are tried. Valid options are bind for querying the name server, hosts for lookups in /etc/hosts, and nis for NIS lookups. Any or all of them may be specified. The order in which they appear on the line determines the order in which the respective services are tried."

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