To change machine name in mac

 To change the machine name (also known as computer name or hostname) on macOS, you can follow these steps:

1. Open System Preferences: Click on the Apple menu in the top-left corner of your screen and select "System Preferences." 2. Go to Sharing: In System Preferences, click on "Sharing." 3. Change the Computer Name: At the top of the Sharing preference pane, you'll see a field labeled "Computer Name." This is your current machine name. 4. Edit the name: - Click on the name to edit it. - Type in the new name you want for your Mac. 5. Confirm the change: - Press Return or click outside the field to confirm the change. - You may see a message saying the name has been updated. 6. (Optional) Edit the Local Hostname: - Below the Computer Name, you'll see "Local Hostname." - If you want to change this too, click on "Edit" next to it. - Enter a new local hostname (this should be letters, numbers, and hyphens only, no spaces). 7. Close System Preferences: The changes will take effect immediately. Additional notes: - The Computer Name is what appears in Finder and to other devices on your network. - The Local Hostname is used for Bonjour networking and should be unique on your local network. - You may need to restart some network services or applications for them to recognize the new name. - If you're using your Mac in a corporate environment, check with your IT department before making changes, as they may have specific naming conventions. Remember, changing your computer's name doesn't affect your user account name or any other system settings.

If you want to change these, you can use the following commands: 1. To change the hostname (what's returned by the `hostname` command): ``` sudo scutil --set HostName "new-hostname" ``` Replace "new-hostname" with your desired hostname. 2. To change the ComputerName: ``` sudo scutil --set ComputerName "New Computer Name" ``` Replace "New Computer Name" with your desired name. 3. You might also want to set the LocalHostName, which is used for Bonjour networking: ``` sudo scutil --set LocalHostName "new-local-hostname" ``` Use only letters, numbers, and hyphens for the LocalHostName, no spaces. After making these changes, you may need to restart your Mac or at least log out and log back in for all systems to recognize the new names. Remember, the ComputerName is what typically shows up in Finder and to other devices on your network, while the hostname is what's used in the terminal prompt and for certain network operations. If you want to verify the changes, you can use these commands: ``` hostname scutil --get ComputerName scutil --get LocalHostName ```

The `hostname` command showing an IP address instead of a machine name is usually due to how the system's hostname is configured. This can happen for a few reasons: 1. Dynamic IP Configuration: If your system is configured to use DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol), it might be setting the hostname to the IP address it receives. 2. Network Configuration: Some network setups, especially in virtualized environments or certain types of network deployments, might configure systems to use their IP addresses as hostnames. 3. `/etc/hosts` File: The system's `/etc/hosts` file might have an entry that maps the IP address to the hostname. 4. Reverse DNS: If reverse DNS lookup is not properly configured for your network, the system might default to using the IP address. 5. Virtual Machine or Container: If you're running in a virtualized environment, the hypervisor or container system might be setting the hostname to the IP address. To investigate and potentially fix this: 1. Check your `/etc/hosts` file: ``` cat /etc/hosts ``` Look for any entries that might be setting your hostname to an IP address. 2. Check your hostname settings: ``` scutil --get HostName scutil --get LocalHostName scutil --get ComputerName ``` 3. Set a proper hostname: ``` sudo scutil --set HostName "your-desired-hostname" ``` 4. If you're using DHCP, check your DHCP client configuration to ensure it's not overwriting your hostname. 5. Restart the relevant services or reboot your system after making changes. If you're in a managed environment (like a corporate network or cloud service), you might need to consult with your system administrator, as there might be specific policies or configurations in place causing this behavior.