CentOS - Apr 2011 - /etc/hosts not resolving hostnames

I have modified /etc/hosts file with IP address and hostname entries.
However, host command is returning 'Host vhost1.example.com not found:
3(NXDOMAIN)'. Also, apache is returning error on start as '[error] (EAI
2)Name or service not known: Could not resolve host name
vhost1.example.com-- ignoring!' . The ssh worked fine and resolved the
hostname correctly (ssh
from same system to itself - just for test). Am I missing something here? I
thought /etc/hosts will be referred for all lookups. Any help??

jM.
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Johan Martinez wrote:
> I have modified /etc/hosts file with IP address and hostname entries.
> However, host command is returning 'Host vhost1.example.com not found:
> 3(NXDOMAIN)'. Also, apache is returning error on start as '[error]
(EAI
> 2)Name or service not known: Could not resolve host name
> vhost1.example.com-- ignoring!' . The ssh worked fine and resolved the
> hostname correctly (ssh
> from same system to itself - just for test). Am I missing something here?
> I thought /etc/hosts will be referred for all lookups. Any help??
Does /etc/resolv.conf exist? If so, what does /etc/nsswitch.conf say -
files first?

        mark

On 04/08/11 11:24 AM, Johan Martinez wrote:
> I have modified /etc/hosts file with IP address and hostname entries. 
> However, host command is returning 'Host vhost1.example.com 
> <http://vhost1.example.com> not found: 3(NXDOMAIN)'. Also, apache
is
> returning error on start as '[error] (EAI 2)Name or service not known: 
> Could not resolve host name vhost1.example.com 
> <http://vhost1.example.com> -- ignoring!' . The ssh worked fine
and
> resolved the hostname correctly (ssh from same system to itself - just 
> for test). Am I missing something here? I thought /etc/hosts will be 
> referred for all lookups. Any help??
the 'hosts' command (as well as dig, and nslookup) go directly to DNS, 
they do not look at /etc/hosts or nsswitch.conf for that matter.   
Apache may well go to DNS also, since your local /etc/hosts file is not 
recognized by any systems outside the localhost, and apache IS a server.