/etc/hosts file is reverting to a previous state in OS X?!?
Problem: I make changes to my /etc/hosts file — but they don’t seem to “stick”. They take affect, but after some time (hours, a day) the changes I made are lost.
Solution: When changing the /etc/hosts file, make sure you are NOT connected to the VPN (at least if you are using Network Connect by Juniper Networks.)
Story: For a long time I have noticed that when I make changes to my /etc/hosts file it reverts back to a old state at the end of the day (or eventually). It has been very annoying as you can imagine. I have been keeping all my entries in a separate file & add them to my hosts file when I need them. Ugg. I got a clue via aardvark that it may be VPN related.
It turns out that when I disconnect from the VPN the hosts file reverts to the state it was in before I connected to VPN. Ahh…. but If I make changes before being connected to VPN, then they stick. I would connect to VPN, make changes to /etc/hosts, then eventually time out or disconnect from VPN… poof! Changes are gone & the next day begins.
This was not obvious to me because 99% of the changes I make to the /etc/hosts file require the VPN to work to begin with! In addition, I mostly work remote — so it is rare that I will be in the office (not connected to VPN) and make changes to my hosts file.
Now I know to make changes to my /etc/hosts file before connecting to my VPN 
, and 
Jim Schimpf are discussing. 
Jim Schimpf 6:33 pm on March 7, 2009 Permalink |
Congratulations, you made a very good move. The time you spent with Ubuntu and switching when necessary to Windows is just what you need with OS X. There will always be something that you need that won’t be available in OS X. Unlike others you won’t just quit OS X, but just boot up Windows and “get’er done”. There is a huge lack of choice in OS X which I actually like, I just use it and don’t spend time tweeking it.
Also your now developed Linux reflexes will most often be right in OS X. And now I put on my “Well actually hat”. The great similarity of OS X and Linux is because they have the same UNIX heritage. OS X came out of the BSD tradition so will be different in philosophy in some things than Linux. They are the same more than different and I am more confused by Windows these days.
Daithí 2:46 pm on May 12, 2009 Permalink |
Hello.
I’m kinda in the same situation, allow me to explain…
Being a Linux (ubuntu and debian) user for years, and being Linux my favourite OS so far, there are things that, unfortunatlly, make the Linux OS still not desktop ready. My laptop, a 2 year old Sony Vaio, works way better in Linux than with Vista (it runs faster, more stable, the battery lasts longer, all hardware is supported out-of-the-box, etc). But, Ekiga doesn’t work as good as VoipBuster (audio quality and stability), Skype is years back when compared to the windows version, hardware support is very very good, but not as good as it should be, PluseAudio is still not ready for it, and I have an iPod Touch 2nd that makes me sometimes boot Vista to sync and update. So, for a guy like me that loves the Gnome interface, the *nix chassi, and every other positive aspect about the linux world, I’m guessing that the way to go is Mac, because I do not want to go back to Windows and I want something that is similar to Linux but without its weak points..
…But….
I have no mac experience (I’ve tried it 10 mins and found it hard – yes, I’m really saying that), I don’t want an OS that will treat me like a newbie hiding the tech stuff and showing me only happy and undetailed warnings, I want to continue to use free software alternatives (in windows there is a lot of good freeware that does a better job than some comercial apps), and I want an SO that doesn’t keep doing things in the background (windows again).
Is the mac really the best choice for me!? I don’t wanto to be stuck with a cute laptop with the base OS because I woun’t have money to buy expensive software to do what I always did for free….
Anonymous 3:47 am on May 13, 2009 Permalink |
Daithí, I know it can be a bit painful to make the transition, but it is well worth it!
I feel compelled to give you a nice lengthly response because this is something I feel compassionate about. I am a recent convert after over a decade of windows use spackled with linux experience & after about a year of OSX usage as my main personal & business OS of choice I am convinced this is the best OS for my needs at this current point in time.
I agree that most linux operating systems out there still have a way to go for them to compete with Mac OSX or god forbid windows for most of us….. I do not want to go into the specifics because that is not the point of this post but I will say that when I went from windows to linux I was happy, but when I went from linux to OS X I was happier. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love linux and everything it stand for but for day to day use I find OS X more pleasant, intuitive and … reliable given my day to day usage & usage patterns.
I _hated_ apple and mac for over 10 years. Then eventually I noticed that a lot of people in my community (ruby developers, graphic designers, …. casual users) started using it — a lot.
The UI does take some getting used to but with time I felt that it was superior to other UIs I have worked with.
I had to get used to using the apple/command key (Alt) instead of the control key for most commands….. CTRL+A, CTRL+C, CTRL+N, etc. Took a while, but I feel comfortable with it now.
I only have a mac laptop — a macbookpro — so I had to get used to no more page up/down, del/insert, home/end buttons. That was a drag, but I learned equivalent keyboard shortcuts. That sucked, but I feel comfortable with it now.
OSX hides stuff because that is what a good OS should do: be as unobstrusive as possible. The operating system should be transparent — you should not have to see or deal with it unless you need to. I think that is what OS X does & it feels right once you get used to it. Now when I switch over to my ubuntu (or umm…. winblows) system at home I feel like the OS is always announcing itself….
That said, OS X has a lot of linux behavior in it — file structure, command prompt, services, etc. It has a ton of stuff that can be configured under the hood just like any other linux OS. It is extremely powerful & very customizable.
As far as free software there is a ton of free software out there. Many people over the last few years have released some killer free OS X software. Most of what I use is free (or even better build in to the OS). I did buy a copy of TextMate (the best text editer out there), Office (for Word, Excel, Powerpoint, etc), and VMware (for virtualization). I think you have to but most of that stuff in windows — for linux there are always free alternatives. On the flip side, the way I look at it is that by buying software you are supporting developers — the very people that make that software possible. If it where not for developers, none of this stuff would be around. It’s quality software as well. None of this MS crap…..
I can’t speak for you but the mac was the best choice for me. I got it for free from my employer, and I would buy one for myself if I did not have one already. The next desktop I buy may just be a mac. Oh, and as a added bonus yes, my laptop looks slick compared to the other bulky, boxy, thick & plastic laptops that I see out there. That’s insult to injury right there!
Daithí 3:40 am on May 14, 2009 Permalink |
Anonymous, thanks for the reply, really apreciate
Well, you are answering to all my questions with your post… About the free software, don’t get me wrong, I want to support good work from developers, I meant to say that I am not like some people that, for example, do some casual word processing and for that are going to get the latest MS Office version (ilegal) for their 4 year old computer, when they could use OpenOffice for that! If there is free software that doesn what I want I’ll stick with it, otherwise, I’ll search for paid alternatives.
About the OS announcing itself, well, that is relative… With Vista it announces itself everytime it is idle (my poor poor hard drive), Linux announces itself by not making your life very easy (but in a positive and good way!) and making you go deep in the OS and expand your knowledge. I’m afraid to start do get lazy with OSX :p
“when I went from windows to linux I was happy, but when I went from linux to OS X I was happier” – This my friend, this says it all! Although I do not have a rich mac experience, I guess that this will be happening to me. Having a fully supported comercial *nix OS without the things that, unfortunatelly, are still wrong with linux will make me the most happy guy on the planet!
Cheers