What does this mean in Terminal???

Question

Level 4

2,574 points

What does this mean in Terminal???

This is really weird.

When I open Terminal, this is the prompt I see:

bonnies-laptop:~ myusername$

Where the heck did this bonnies-laptop come from? What does it mean? Any way I can get rid of it and change that back to the default?

2.4 15" MPB, 2.2 15" MBP, iPhone 3G, iPod Shuffle, Mac OS X (10.5.5)

Posted on Nov 20, 2008 12:24 PM

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Answer 1

Király

Level 6

10,025 points

Nov 20, 2008 12:36 PM in response to BW Lee

Is "bonnies-laptop" the same as your computer's name (in System Preferences -> Sharing) ?

My Terminal displays my computer name in that spot if my Mac has been disconnected from the internet.

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Answer 2

BW Lee Author

Level 4

2,574 points

Nov 20, 2008 12:57 PM in response to Király

Thanks for replying.

"bonnies-laptop" is not the name of my computer in system preferences (set under 'sharing'). That name is "lebowski."

What's weird is, when I'm completely disconnected from the internet, then "lebowski" appears in the Terminal prompt.

If I connect to the internet, then the "bonnies-laptop" appears.

What gives? I'm at an office right now but am using my personal computer. Why would this be happening? Is it something I should be worried about?

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Answer 3

baltwo

Level 9

62,386 points

Nov 20, 2008 1:00 PM in response to BW Lee

Hook up to the Internet, open System Preferences->Network->Advanced->WINS, and see what's being displayed as the NetBIOS Name. If it's bonnies-laptop, change it to lebowski.

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Answer 4

orangekay

Level 5

4,085 points

Nov 20, 2008 1:02 PM in response to BW Lee

Someone else in the office has a computer named that and you've taken over their DHCP lease. Bonjour is now pulling from stale data in attempting to determine your hostname.

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Answer 5

BW Lee Author

Level 4

2,574 points

Nov 20, 2008 1:07 PM in response to baltwo

Went to system preferences and the NetBIOS name was BONNIES. I changed it to LEBOWSKI, clicked 'Okay' and then 'Apply.'

But when I open Terminal, it still says bonnies-laptop at the prompt? How is this happening? I find it all very intriguing and mildly troubling.

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Answer 6

CPfreak

Level 1

100 points

Nov 20, 2008 1:16 PM in response to BW Lee

If your computer has indeed taken over someone's DHCP lease, you can renew it by opening Network preferences, choose the connection you're using on the left, click Advanced… and click “Renew DHCP Lease”. That ought to fix it (clear out the names in the fields as before if they're still there).

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Answer 7

BW Lee Author

Level 4

2,574 points

Nov 20, 2008 1:27 PM in response to CPfreak

Here's one thing I noticed. We have both ethernet and wireless here.

If I'm on wireless, then the Terminal prompt goes back to lebowski. If I'm on ethernet, it always shows bonnies-laptop no matter what.

I turned off my airport and went into System Preferences and renewed my DHCP lease for ethernet. But for some reason, the Terminal prompt still shows bonnies-laptop.

Very strange.

Is this something I should be worried about?

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Answer 8

nerowolfe

Level 6

13,090 points

Nov 20, 2008 1:30 PM in response to BW Lee

Did you buy the computer new?
Do you know anyone named bonnie?
Did anyone ever have access to your computer without your knowledge?
Consider installing LittleSnitch

Message was edited by: Theodore

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Answer 9

BW Lee Author

Level 4

2,574 points

Nov 20, 2008 1:36 PM in response to nerowolfe

Yes, purchased new about a year ago.

Recently I wiped the whole hard drive clean and re-installed my system, software and files. That was just last week, because I had my logic board replaced and I was having weird internet problems. They all went away after the re-install.

In my office, two desks away is a girl named Bonnie and I'd be willing to guess her computer is named Bonnies-laptop.

My computer is password protected so even when I'm not around, nobody should be able to mess with it. LittleSnitch is something I'm going to consider if it comes down to the fact that someone messed around with it.

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Answer 10

nerowolfe

Level 6

13,090 points

Nov 20, 2008 1:42 PM in response to BW Lee

BW Lee wrote:
Yes, purchased new about a year ago.

Recently I wiped the whole hard drive clean and re-installed my system, software and files. That was just last week, because I had my logic board replaced and I was having weird internet problems. They all went away after the re-install.

In my office, two desks away is a girl named Bonnie and I'd be willing to guess her computer is named Bonnies-laptop.

My computer is password protected so even when I'm not around, nobody should be able to mess with it. LittleSnitch is something I'm going to consider if it comes down to the fact that someone messed around with it.

Sounds like time to say "hello" to bonnie and hope there is no Clyde 🙂
Is this bonnie person a very savvy user?

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Answer 11

BW Lee Author

Level 4

2,574 points

Nov 20, 2008 1:50 PM in response to nerowolfe

No, Bonnie wouldn't know her way around a mac. She's a PC type.

I doubt she would ever even touch my machine, though stranger things have happened.

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Answer 12

Nov 20, 2008 2:44 PM in response to BW Lee

orangekay told you what is wrong. Your colleague Bonnie is not being malicious, or in any way responsible for this.

There's a fuller explanation in this topic: Re: Custom Prompt sometimes shows wrong Machine Name, and the simple way to fix it is in Ignoring a DHCP-supplied hostname .

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Answer 13

Andreas

Level 4

1,510 points

Nov 20, 2008 4:57 PM in response to BW Lee

As well as those threads, my post in http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1418905 might be helpful

...and a 'Google' for "reverse DNS" might give you a fuller explanation.

Andreas

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Answer 14

BW Lee Author

Level 4

2,574 points

Nov 21, 2008 7:35 AM in response to Michael Conniff

Thanks. Very informative.

Wish I had more 'helpful' points to throw around.

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