/etc/hostname.interface File

This file defines the physical network interfaces on the local host. At least one /etc/hostname.interface file should exist on the local system. The Solaris installation program creates an /etc/hostname.interface file for the first interface that is found during the installation process. This interface usually has the lowest device number, for example eri0, and is referred to as the primary network interface. If the installation programs finds additional interfaces, you optionally can configure them, as well, as part of the installation process.

If you add a new network interface to your system after installation, you must create an /etc/hostname.interface file for that interface, as explained in How to Configure an IP Interface After System Installation in System Administration Guide: Network Interfaces and Network Virtualization. Also, for the Solaris software to recognize and use the new network interface, you need to load the interface's device driver into the appropriate directory. Refer to the documentation that comes with the new network interface for the appropriate interface name and device driver instructions.

The basic /etc/hostname.interface file contains one entry: the host name or IPv4 address that is associated with the network interface. The IPv4 address can be expressed in traditional dotted decimal format or in CIDR notation. If you use a host name as the entry for the /etc/hostname.interface file, that host name must also exist in the /etc/inet/hosts file.

For example, suppose smc0 is the primary network interface for a system that is called tenere. The /etc/hostname.smc0 file could have as its entry an IPv4 address in dotted decimal notation or in CIDR notation, or the host name tenere.

IPv6 uses the /etc/hostname6.interface file for defining network interfaces. For more information, refer to IPv6 Interface Configuration File.