Red Hat Certified Architect (RHCA) Certification Practice Exam

The purpose of the /etc/hosts file in a Linux system is to map hostnames to IP addresses locally. This file is vital for hostname resolution, allowing the operating system to translate human-friendly domain names or computer names into their corresponding IP addresses without relying on a DNS (Domain Name System) server. When a program or command requests a hostname, the system first checks the /etc/hosts file. If it finds a match, it uses the associated IP address, providing a way to resolve hostnames for local networking or for specifying a particular address for a service without waiting for DNS resolution.

The /etc/hosts file can be particularly useful in scenarios where the DNS service is unavailable, or when you want to override the standard DNS responses for specific hostnames. This capability is often used in testing environments, local setups, or for defining static mappings of IP addresses to hostnames for networked applications.

Other options, such as system configuration settings, event logging, or user account management, do not pertain to the function of the /etc/hosts file and represent entirely different aspects of system management in Linux.