Re: Does Perl always resolve localhost to loopback?

I don't think that's perl - it's how gethostbyname() works. "localhost" should always resolve to 127.0.0.1. To get your actual IP address you'd have to use gethostbyname() with the name that maps to your current IP address, which will normally be set through dhcp if it is dynamic.

Michael

Comment on Re: Does Perl always resolve localhost to loopback?

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Re: Re: Does Perl always resolve localhost to loopback? by pg (Canon) on Oct 18, 2003 at 01:58 UTC
I agree with each word you said. Yes, this is the behavior of c's gethostbyname, and Perl have chosen not to put "decoration" on top of it. Java did interpreted localhost in a way that is not quite the same. Java resolve localhost to the DHCP assigned address, but for applet, it resolves to loopback, by doing this, they try to make your applet not able to listen on TCP port on the browser's PC. In older versions of Java, localhost always resolve to DHCP assigned address, even if it run as applet. They modified this behavior to increase security. (My purpose is not about what is right, what is wrong, but about what actually happens in different languages, and whether there is a particular reason behind them. I go with your answer: it is becasue of c, simple ;-)	[reply]

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Re: Re: Does Perl always resolve localhost to loopback?
by pg (Canon) on Oct 18, 2003 at 01:58 UTC

I agree with each word you said. Yes, this is the behavior of c's gethostbyname, and Perl have chosen not to put "decoration" on top of it.

Java did interpreted localhost in a way that is not quite the same.

Java resolve localhost to the DHCP assigned address, but for applet, it resolves to loopback, by doing this, they try to make your applet not able to listen on TCP port on the browser's PC. In older versions of Java, localhost always resolve to DHCP assigned address, even if it run as applet. They modified this behavior to increase security.

(My purpose is not about what is right, what is wrong, but about what actually happens in different languages, and whether there is a particular reason behind them. I go with your answer: it is becasue of c, simple ;-)

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