Computer name

[DavO]

How do you change the name of the computer (for all users)? You can change admin names, but apparently not the name of the computer once OS X is in place. Does anyone know command line fixes for this? (or any other way....)

 

[bobw]

Open your terminal and type
sudo pico /etc/hostconfig
...you will be asked for your password, then you will open up the file in the simple pico editor. With your arrow keys, move down to where the file says

HOSTNAME=-AUTOMATIC-
...and change it to
HOSTNAME=MyNewComputerName
...where, of course, MyNewComputerName is whatever you wish to name it.

When you've changed the file to your satisfaction, hit Control-O to save, use the same file name, and hit Control-X to exit. (These command keys are listed at the bottom of pico for your editing ease.)

 

[RacerX]

Are you saying that the sharing panel in System Preferences isn't working?

 

[Giaguara]

It is working. That is the other way to do it.

 

[DavO]

this terminal "fix" did not actually work, despite several attempts.

Any more ideas?

 

[adambyte]

Yes. Go into your "System Preferences," click the "Sharing" pane, and then enter a "Computer Name" and "Rendezvous Name." - Just like RacerX implied. ... Easy as pie, no?

 

[DavO]

...so the sharing panel worked better than the unix terminal....

but how do you change the "short name?"

 

[DeltaMac]

Here's a LINK for changing the Short User Name.
(thanks to Dan Frakes)
It's a 20-step process through netinfo manager, easier than it looks at first.
It's really a lot simpler if an account is simply completely deleted, rather than doing a name change process. You'll also see a link to Apple's official "39-step"!! process, not including enabling, then disabling root access, a much more complicated