Why does sendmail think its host is named `localhost' is it named?

[Harry Putnam]

base60 <nobody at whitehouse.com> writes:

> If you're running a reasonably current sendmail, check to see if there
> are two processes associated with it... one running as root and the
> other as smmsp.
>
> Most likely this is the case, and also the explanation for what
> you are seeing.
>
> If you do find both processes and want an explanation, read
> the sendmail docs regarding priv separation etc.

I guess your talkin about the submission agent, sm-mta in the logs and
sendmail daemon?

But that doesn't explain sendmail calling itself localhost.  It never
has before in 8-10 years I've been messing with sendmail.

It turned out, and I think this is posted in this thread, if not it
should have been to show this is resolved (sort of)

I had in hosts file first line:

  127.0.0.1    localhost     reader

A poster on gentoo list HeinzP noticed that and suggested I switch it
to:
  127.0.0.1    reader       localhost

Once I did that and restared sendmail, everthing fell into place.
Everywhere it had put `localhost' it now puts `reader' as expected.

I do believe the first forumlation above is what I've used for years
and sendmail knew it was running on `reader' anyway, so I'm thinking
something has changed in sendmail itself.  But have not investigated
that line of reasoning.