1 DHCP(5)               Standards, Environments, and Macros              DHCP(5)
   2 
   3 
   4 
   5 NAME
   6        dhcp - Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol
   7 
   8 DESCRIPTION
   9        Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) enables host systems in a
  10        TCP/IP network to be configured automatically for the network as they
  11        boot. DHCP uses a client/server mechanism: servers store configuration
  12        information for clients, and provide that information upon a client's
  13        request.  The information can include the client's IP address and
  14        information about network services available to the client.
  15 
  16        This manual page provides a brief summary of the DHCP implementation.
  17 
  18    DHCP Client
  19        The DHCP client is implemented as background daemon, dhcpagent(1M).
  20 
  21        For IPv4, this daemon is started automatically during bootup if there
  22        exists at least one dhcp.interface file in /etc. Only interfaces with a
  23        corresponding /etc/dhcp.interface file are automatically configured
  24        during boot.
  25 
  26        For IPv6, this daemon is started automatically when commanded by
  27        in.ndpd (based on IPv6 Routing Advertisement messages). No
  28        /etc/dhcp.interface file is necessary, but such a file can be used to
  29        specify an interface as "primary," provided that IPv4 DHCP is also in
  30        use.
  31 
  32        Network parameters needed for system configuration during bootup are
  33        extracted from the information received by the daemon through the use
  34        of the dhcpinfo(1) command. The daemon's default behavior can be
  35        altered by changing the tunables in the /etc/default/dhcpagent file.
  36        The daemon is controlled by the ifconfig(1M) utility. Check the status
  37        of the daemon using the netstat(1M) and ifconfig(1M) commands.
  38 
  39 SEE ALSO
  40        dhcpinfo(1), dhcpagent(1M), ifconfig(1M), in.ndpd(1M), netstat(1M),
  41        syslog(3C), dhcp_inittab(4), ndpd.conf(4)
  42 
  43        Alexander, S., and R. Droms. RFC 2132, DHCP Options and BOOTP Vendor
  44        Extensions. Silicon Graphics, Inc. Bucknell University. March 1997.
  45 
  46        Droms, R. RFC 1534, Interoperation Between DHCP and BOOTP. Bucknell
  47        University. October 1993.
  48 
  49        Droms, R. RFC 2131, Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol. Bucknell
  50        University. March 1997.
  51 
  52        Wimer, W. RFC 1542, Clarifications and Extensions for the Bootstrap
  53        Protocol. Carnegie Mellon University. October 1993.
  54 
  55        Lemon, T. and B. Sommerfeld. RFC 4361, Node-specific Client Identifiers
  56        for Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol Version Four (DHCPv4). Nominum
  57        and Sun Microsystems. February 2006.
  58 
  59        Droms, R. RFC 3315, Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol for IPv6
  60        (DHCPv6). Cisco Systems. July 2003.
  61 
  62 
  63 
  64                                February 13, 2020                       DHCP(5)