System Hostname Cannot Be Blank

Are you having problems getting e-mail to send from your BeOS system? You write the message and send it off, but it never actually is sent from your system to your intended recipient?

A bug in our mail sending software prevents mail from going out if your system's Hostname setting does not have something in it, even if it's nonsense. If your network connection is otherwise working (i.e., you can get to other web sites in NetPositive, etc.), your problem could be that your system's Hostname is blank.

Here's how to fix the problem:

1. Open the Network preferences application (it's located in /preferences, or you can choose it from the Be menu in the Deskbar).

2. The Hostname field is in the Miscellaneous section, on the left.

3. If your Hostname is blank, click in the Hostname box, and type a Hostname for your computer.

   • If you have a fixed IP address, you might have a real Hostname (your network administrator can tell you what that is) but you can use any text for your Hostname.

   • If you do not have a fixed IP address, such as with most PPP connections, your Hostname can be anything. Choose a name for your computer and type it in.

   Note: Hostnames should be short, and only letters or numbers (you don't need your full host.domain.com, string, just the "host" part). You can use a dash ("-") if you want to separate a word; don't use a space!

4. Click the Save button to save your Network settings changes. Click Restart Networking when prompted to do so.