Hi fellow selfhosters!
What hostnames do you use for your systems and services?
And maybe why if it’s an interesting story.
I’ll start:
Steam Deck: krax
Smartphone: krix (once I get LineageOS installed again)
MiniPC: krux
Reserved for future use: krex & krox
Creative, I know. 😅 The names have no deeper meaning. The x comes from Linux. That’s it.
I know some of you use god names of certain pantheons, such as Thor. But I find that boring as a lot of people are doing that.
Now let your pants down and tell me all about
your embarrassing host names!
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I usually name my devices after Greek gods and godesses; Artemis, Hermes, Metis, Athena, Apollo etc.
MacBook Pro:
mbp.domain.com
Raspberry Pi 2:rpi2.domain.com
Raspberry Pi 3:rpi3.domain.com
Raspberry Pi 4:rpi4.domain.com
Raspberry Pi 5:rpi5.domain.com
(Yes, I have one of each.)
Synology DS415+:ds415.domain.com
Phone:iphone.domain.com
Watch:watch.domain.com
AppleTV:appletv.domain.com
Nintendo Switch:switch.domain.comI’m missing the rpi1 in that list. Please fix ASAP.
That one was called just
rpi.domain.com, but didn’t stand the test of time…
I envy you so much
Server (big iron): Bender
Desktop (main character): Fry
Laptop (for accounting): Hermes
Netbook (small and dumb): Nibbler
Phone (held to my head): BrainSlug
HTPC (one big viewport): Leela
This is my scheme as well! Pretty much to the t. Except my HTPC is hypnotoad and nibbler is my NAS.
OMG Hypnotoad HTPC is so much better! Why didn’t I thnnk of that?
Huh. I thought for sure someone else would be using my scheme.
LAN computers are all Tolkien swords: sting, orcrist, gurthang, glamdring, etc. If I run out of swords, I’ll start adding other weapons: aeglost, the spear; dailir, the arrow. We don’t get a lot of named battle axes, which I always thought weird; I’d think dwarves of all people would forge legendary axes, and certainly name them.
My WiFi and VPN networks are forests in Middle Earth: fangorn, bindbole, dimholt, lothlorien, etc. The only exception is my LAN itself which is… “lan”. Because short.
My cloud VPSes are named after Greek Titans: hyperion, phaethusa, tethys, etc.
Mobile devices have whatever names they come with, because they’re so ephemeral.
In the past, I used Gimli’s family tree for server names. My main server was called “Thorin”. I think I had used Thrain and Gloin.
These days I use Union generals from the civil war:
Sherman - NAS, media server, nextcloud. Thomas - reverse proxy, adguard1. Ellsworth - arr stack. Sheridan - backup server. dockerhost01 - because naming your servers after their function makes a lot more sense.
In the past, I used Gimli’s family tree for server names.
Oh, that’s good.
Middle Earth is a great source for this stuff, b/c Tolkien filled out the world like a historian.
I’ve always done characters from Beatles songs
- Walrus
- Martha
- Her-Majesty
- Submarine
- MissLizzy
- Blackbird
- NowhereMan
- SgtPepper
- Jojo
I name them after a female important character in whatever novel I’m enjoying when I set the system up. Back when I was single the female was important, not it is just tradition.
Since I like fantasy there are plenty of names available that are both pronounceable and nonsense.
I am a simple person.
My PC: Panda
My wifes PC: notpanda
Docker VM: dockerhost.homeI take a word that’s related to the purpose of the new host and put it in an online translator and cycle through languages until I get something cool.
My laptop is called xontros-gatos, which in my native language means fat-cat. Similarly, my server is called server-cat, a small laptop that I have for testing stuff is called small-cat and a new laptop that I just got is called fatter-cat.
I LIKE CATS I LIKE CATS I LIKE CATS I LIKE CATS I LIKE CATS I LIKE CATS I LIKE CATS I LIKE CATS
The printer’s name is Marvin, from HHGTTG.
It never wants to work and always complains.
My home network is called The IT Clowd with these devices:
- Moss - physical server
- Roy - physical server
- Jen - vm - main docker host
- Richmond - vm - *arr stack
- Denholm - vm - monitoring, logging
- Douglas - vm - Home Assistant stack
- Basement - vm - development server
I do marvel weapons/artifacts:
Phone: Mjolnir
Tablet: Stormbreaker
Laptop: Darkhold
Earbuds: I.C.E.R
Backup NAS: EyeOfAgamotto
Etc, etc 😅
My phone’s name is “Samsung Smart Fridge™” because I think it’s hilarious if someone is looking at hotspots or network info and go “what the hell is a fridge doing here-”
That’s hilarious. Now I wanna set up a Wi-Fi hotspot with that SSID at a local library or something for lulz.
Something like “LG Dishwasher”.
Man I’m lame.
Used to be {env}-function##
Now it’s {env}-{vlanlocation}-function##
VLAN location such as DMZ, Infra, Jump for jump boxes, IOTSec or IOTInsec, Etc
After a long career in tech, one of the things I start to push for when I inevitably take over ops at my new job is to eliminate the silly names.
I don’t do it because I hate fun, I do it because when someone yells, “Squirtle has dropped off the network!” I don’t want to have to go consult a lookup table to learn that Squirtle is a staging environment postgres replica and not the primary billing database.
As a result, I apply the same standards to my home network without shame.
It’s the right move.
I tell you, the first time you’re sat in front of a CEO and an auditor and you have to explain why the big list of servers has a highlighted one called C-NT-PRIK-5 is when the fun stops.
Explaining that it’s short for ‘customer network tester Mr. Prickles 5’, and is actually a cacti server never really seems to help the situation.
At least a few of the customers got a laugh out of it being on the reports!
Fictional planet names (mostly early Star Wars because I’m old): Dantooine, Naboo, Tatooine, Jabba (not a planet, but server for “data storage” hence smuggler reference), Bespin and odd one out Arrakis (laptop).
