> If I want to make a change to either /etc/hosts or /etc/rc.conf after 
> the system has booted, can I restart a process to make them be re-read?

AFAIK:

/etc/hosts isn't cached -- changes you make there should be immediate.
/etc/rc.conf changes demand a reboot, since it determines startup settings.

-- 
----------------------------- personal page: http://www.armory.com/~spectre/ --
 Cameron Kaiser, Point Loma Nazarene University * ckaiser@stockholm.ptloma.edu
-- "I'd love to go out with you, but I'm joining my split ends individually." -