[Dnsmasq-discuss] using DHCP with virtual interfaces

Simon Kelley simon at thekelleys.org.uk
Wed Apr 8 09:46:48 BST 2009


Tom Metro wrote:
> Simon Kelley wrote:
>> The behaviour WRT to MAC addresses and client-identifiers is mandated by
>> the DHCP standards, which don't allow the server to assume identify
>> between two hosts with different MAC addresses or client-ids based on
>> the hostname it supplies.
> 
> Ah, OK. I wasn't aware of that. I suspect most casual users of DHCP 
> wouldn't be either. Superficially the two attributes seem like they 
> should be interchangeable (in terms of their impact on the IP address 
> selection decision logic), and if I recall correctly the man page 
> doesn't say otherwise.
> 
> I'd like to offer a documentation patch to correct for that, but I'm not 
> sure if tacking another paragraph onto the dhcp-host documentation is 
> the best place for it. I'm wondering if something more like a "theory of 
> operation" section, which could then document the full set of steps 
> Dnsmasq uses to get from discover to offer, would be the better way to 
> go. Sure, it's going to be largely redundant with what's in the RFC, but 
>  it'll be documenting things specific to the Dnsmasq implementation as 
> well.
> 
> I see the man page already has a few paragraphs near the end covering 
> network-id, which is a portion of the DHCP decision logic. This patch 
> would probably involve reorganizing the notes section, renaming it 
> something like OPERATION, giving DNS and DHCP their own sub-headings, 
> and putting the signal behaviors under their own SIGNALS heading.
> 
> Would this approach make sense? I could take a stab at a first draft for 
> it, using the RFC as guidance, but I'd be dependent on you to refine it 
> to be Dnsmasq-specific.
> 

I'm well aware that the documentation for dnsmasq could be improved, and 
that sounds like a good strategy. I'm certainly willing to do my bit.


Cheers,

Simon.



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