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### 4.8 Selecting a default host

Finally, it is even possible to omit the host name part of a tramp file name. This case, the value of the variable `tramp-default-host` is used. Per default, it is initialized with the host name your local GNU Emacs is running.

If you, for example, use tramp mainly to contact the host ‘`target`’ as user ‘`john`’, you can specify:

         (setq tramp-default-user "john"
               tramp-default-host "target")

Then the simple file name ‘`/ssh ::`’ will connect you to John's home directory on target. Note, however, that the most simplification ‘`/::`’ won't work, because ‘`/:`’ is the prefix for quoted file names.