[vesinisa]

Sure, but at least on none of my Linux systems there is no such file /etc/localhost. I think the parent was referring to /etc/localtime. Not sure what is the behaviour if non-existent file is specified - perhaps the "value cannot be interpreted" case applies, but it's not pefectly clear, since it could be argued that the value is valid, just refers to a non-existent file.

[deathanatos]

Ah, correct you are! :-) I had missed that myself, and the : syntax is so rarely seen I naturally assumed that was what was intended.