Linux/hostid

Test Set Hostid

#include <stdio.h>
#include <unistd.h>

int main() {
long id,res;

// get real (default) hostid
id = gethostid();
printf("current hostid is: %xq\n",id);
// set new hostid if is superuser
res = sethostid(0x11223344);
if (res == 0) printf("if result is zero - success! (%d) \n",res);
// check if it is changed....
id = gethostid();
printf("current hostid is: %x ;-PPPppppp\n",id);
}

Source: http://www.edaboard.com/thread5989.html

Example

Host ID is stored in /etc/hostid as 4 bytes in reverse byte order

# hostid
11223344

# xxd /etc/hostid
0000000: 4433 2211                                D3".

Set Hostid

To print a byte, you need to convert it to octal first:

i=65  # ASCII 'A'
printf \\$(printf "%o" $i);  # 'A'

HOSTID=11223344

C1=`echo $HOSTID | cut -b 7-8`
C2=`echo $HOSTID | cut -b 5-6`
C3=`echo $HOSTID | cut -b 3-4`
C4=`echo $HOSTID | cut -b 1-2`

# Convert to Decimal
C1=`printf "%d" 0x$C1`
C2=`printf "%d" 0x$C2`
C3=`printf "%d" 0x$C3`
C4=`printf "%d" 0x$C4`

# Covert to Octal
C1=`printf "%03o" $C1`
C2=`printf "%03o" $C2`
C3=`printf "%03o" $C3`
C4=`printf "%03o" $C4`

# Convert to Byte
C1=`printf \\\\$C1`
C2=`printf \\\\$C2`
C3=`printf \\\\$C3`
C4=`printf \\\\$C4`

# Export to /etc/hostid
printf "$C1$C2$C3$C4" > /etc/hostid

# Test
hostid

Set Random hostid

sethostid

#!/bin/bash

if [ "$1" != "" ] ; then

  HOSTID=$1

  # Check length
  CC=`echo $HOSTID | wc -c`
  if [ $CC -lt 8 ] ; then
      echo "Set random hostid or specify [AABBCCDD]"
      echo "Usage: $0 [AABBCCDD]"
      exit 1
  fi

  # Get first 4 hex bytes
  C1=`echo $HOSTID | cut -b 7-8`
  C2=`echo $HOSTID | cut -b 5-6`
  C3=`echo $HOSTID | cut -b 3-4`
  C4=`echo $HOSTID | cut -b 1-2`

  #printf "Setting hostid: $C4$C3$C2$C1\n"

  # Convert to Decimal
  C1=`printf "%d" 0x$C1`
  C2=`printf "%d" 0x$C2`
  C3=`printf "%d" 0x$C3`
  C4=`printf "%d" 0x$C4`

else

  # Generate random hostid
  C1=$(( $RANDOM % 256 ))
  C2=$(( $RANDOM % 256 ))
  C3=$(( $RANDOM % 256 ))
  C4=$(( $RANDOM % 256 ))

  # Show Hex
  #printf "Setting hostid: %x%x%x%x \n" $C4 $C3 $C2 $C1

fi

# Covert to Octal
C1=`printf "%03o" $C1`
C2=`printf "%03o" $C2`
C3=`printf "%03o" $C3`
C4=`printf "%03o" $C4`

# Convert to Byte
C1=`printf \\\\$C1`
C2=`printf \\\\$C2`
C3=`printf \\\\$C3`
C4=`printf \\\\$C4`

# Export to /etc/hostid
printf "$C1$C2$C3$C4" > /etc/hostid

# Test
hostid