dhclient-script(8) System Manager's Manual dhclient-script(8)
NAME
dhclient-script - DHCP client network configuration script
DESCRIPTION
The DHCP client network configuration script is invoked from time to
time by dhclient(8). This script is used by the dhcp client to set
each interface's initial configuration prior to requesting an address,
to test the address once it has been offered, and to set the inter-
face's final configuration once a lease has been acquired. If no lease
is acquired, the script is used to test predefined leases, if any, and
also called once if no valid lease can be identified.
This script is not meant to be customized by the end user. If local
customizations are needed, they should be possible using the enter and
exit hooks provided (see HOOKS for details). These hooks will allow
the user to override the default behaviour of the client in creating a
/etc/resolv.conf file, and to handle DHCP options not handled by
default.
No standard client script exists for some operating systems, even
though the actual client may work, so a pioneering user may well need
to create a new script or modify an existing one. In general, cus-
tomizations specific to a particular computer should be done in the
/etc/dhcp/dhclient.conf file. If you find that you can't make such a
customization without customizing /etc/dhcp/dhclient.conf or using the
enter and exit hooks, please submit a bug report.
HOOKS
When it starts, the client script first defines a shell function,
make_resolv_conf , which is later used to create the /etc/resolv.conf
file. To override the default behaviour, redefine this function in
the enter hook script.
On after defining the make_resolv_conf function, the client script
checks for the presence of an executable /etc/dhcp/dhclient-enter-hooks
script, and if present, it invokes the script inline, using the Bourne
shell '.' command. The entire environment documented under OPERATION
is available to this script, which may modify the environment if needed
to change the behaviour of the script. If an error occurs during the
execution of the script, it can set the exit_status variable to a
nonzero value, and /usr/sbin/dhclient-script will exit with that error
code immediately after the client script exits.
After all processing has completed, /usr/sbin/dhclient-script checks
for the presence of an executable /etc/dhcp/dhclient-exit-hooks script,
which if present is invoked using the '.' command. The exit status of
dhclient-script will be passed to dhclient-exit-hooks in the exit_sta-
tus shell variable, and will always be zero if the script succeeded at
the task for which it was invoked. The rest of the environment as
described previously for dhclient-enter-hooks is also present. The
/etc/dhcp/dhclient-exit-hooks script can modify the valid of exit_sta-
tus to change the exit status of dhclient-script.
Immediately after dhclient brings an interface UP with a new IP
address, subnet mask, and routes, in the REBOOT/BOUND states, it will
check for the existence of an executable /etc/dhcp/dhclient-up-hooks
script, and source it if found. This script can handle DHCP options in
the environment that are not handled by default. A per-interface.
/etc/dhcp/dhclient-${IF}-up-hooks script will override the generic
script and be sourced when interface $IF has been brought up.
Immediately before dhclient brings an interface DOWN, removing its IP
address, subnet mask, and routes, in the STOP/RELEASE states, it will
check for the existence of an executable /etc/dhcp/dhclient-down-hooks
script, and source it if found. This script can handle DHCP options in
the environment that are not handled by default. A per-interface
/etc/dhcp/dhclient-${IF}-down-hooks script will override the generic
script and be sourced when interface $IF is about to be brought down.
OPERATION
When dhclient needs to invoke the client configuration script, it
defines a set of variables in the environment, and then invokes
/usr/sbin/dhclient-script. In all cases, $reason is set to the name of
the reason why the script has been invoked. The following reasons are
currently defined: MEDIUM, PREINIT, BOUND, RENEW, REBIND, REBOOT,
EXPIRE, FAIL, STOP, RELEASE, NBI and TIMEOUT.
MEDIUM
The DHCP client is requesting that an interface's media type be set.
The interface name is passed in $interface, and the media type is
passed in $medium.
PREINIT
The DHCP client is requesting that an interface be configured as
required in order to send packets prior to receiving an actual address.
For clients which use the BSD socket library, this means configuring
the interface with an IP address of 0.0.0.0 and a broadcast address of
255.255.255.255. For other clients, it may be possible to simply con-
figure the interface up without actually giving it an IP address at
all. The interface name is passed in $interface, and the media type
in $medium.
If an IP alias has been declared in dhclient.conf, its address will be
passed in $alias_ip_address, and that ip alias should be deleted from
the interface, along with any routes to it.
BOUND
The DHCP client has done an initial binding to a new address. The new
ip address is passed in $new_ip_address, and the interface name is
passed in $interface. The media type is passed in $medium. Any
options acquired from the server are passed using the option name
described in dhcp-options, except that dashes ('-') are replaced by
underscores ('_') in order to make valid shell variables, and the vari-
able names start with new_. So for example, the new subnet mask would
be passed in $new_subnet_mask. The options that the client explicitly
requested via a PRL or ORO option are passed with the same option name
as above but prepended with requested_ and with a value of 1, or exam-
ple requested_subnet_mask=1. No such variable is defined for options
not requested by the client or options that don't require a request
option, such as the ip address (*_ip_address) or expiration time
(*_expiry).
Before actually configuring the address, dhclient-script should somehow
ARP for it and exit with a nonzero status if it receives a reply. In
this case, the client will send a DHCPDECLINE message to the server and
acquire a different address. This may also be done in the RENEW,
REBIND, or REBOOT states, but is not required, and indeed may not be
desirable.
When a binding has been completed, a lot of network parameters are
likely to need to be set up. A new /etc/resolv.conf needs to be cre-
ated, using the values of $new_domain_name and $new_domain_name_servers
(which may list more than one server, separated by spaces). A default
route should be set using $new_routers, and static routes may need to
be set up using $new_static_routes.
If an IP alias has been declared, it must be set up here. The alias
IP address will be written as $alias_ip_address, and other DHCP options
that are set for the alias (e.g., subnet mask) will be passed in vari-
ables named as described previously except starting with $alias_
instead of $new_. Care should be taken that the alias IP address not
be used if it is identical to the bound IP address ($new_ip_address),
since the other alias parameters may be incorrect in this case.
RENEW
When a binding has been renewed, the script is called as in BOUND,
except that in addition to all the variables starting with $new_, and
$requested_ there is another set of variables starting with $old_.
Persistent settings that may have changed need to be deleted - for
example, if a local route to the bound address is being configured, the
old local route should be deleted. If the default route has changed,
the old default route should be deleted. If the static routes have
changed, the old ones should be deleted. Otherwise, processing can be
done as with BOUND.
REBIND
The DHCP client has rebound to a new DHCP server. This can be handled
as with RENEW, except that if the IP address has changed, the ARP table
should be cleared.
REBOOT
The DHCP client has successfully reacquired its old address after a
reboot. This can be processed as with BOUND.
EXPIRE
The DHCP client has failed to renew its lease or acquire a new one, and
the lease has expired. The IP address must be relinquished, and all
related parameters should be deleted, as in RENEW and REBIND.
FAIL
The DHCP client has been unable to contact any DHCP servers, and any
leases that have been tested have not proved to be valid. The parame-
ters from the last lease tested should be deconfigured. This can be
handled in the same way as EXPIRE.
STOP
The dhclient has been informed to shut down gracefully, the dhclient-
script should unconfigure or shutdown the interface as appropriate.
RELEASE
The dhclient has been executed using the -r flag, indicating that the
administrator wishes it to release its lease(s). dhclient-script
should unconfigure or shutdown the interface.
NBI
No-Broadcast-Interfaces...dhclient was unable to find any interfaces
upon which it believed it should commence DHCP. What dhclient-script
should do in this situation is entirely up to the implementor.
TIMEOUT
The DHCP client has been unable to contact any DHCP servers. However,
an old lease has been identified, and its parameters have been passed
in as with BOUND. The client configuration script should test these
parameters and, if it has reason to believe they are valid, should exit
with a value of zero. If not, it should exit with a nonzero value.
The usual way to test a lease is to set up the network as with REBIND
(since this may be called to test more than one lease) and then ping
the first router defined in $routers. If a response is received, the
lease must be valid for the network to which the interface is currently
connected. It would be more complete to try to ping all of the
routers listed in $new_routers, as well as those listed in
$new_static_routes, but current scripts do not do this.
FILES
Each operating system should generally have its own script file,
although the script files for similar operating systems may be similar
or even identical. The script files included in Internet Systems Con-
sortium DHCP distribution appear in the distribution tree under
client/scripts, and bear the names of the operating systems on which
they are intended to work.
BUGS
If more than one interface is being used, there's no obvious way to
avoid clashes between server-supplied configuration parameters - for
example, the stock dhclient-script rewrites /etc/resolv.conf. If more
than one interface is being configured, /etc/resolv.conf will be
repeatedly initialized to the values provided by one server, and then
the other. Assuming the information provided by both servers is
valid, this shouldn't cause any real problems, but it could be confus-
ing.
Normally, if dhclient was compiled with libcap-ng support, dhclient
drops most capabilities immediately upon startup. While more secure,
this greatly restricts the additional actions that hooks in dhclient-
script can take. For example, any daemons that dhclient-script starts
or restarts will inherit the restricted capabilities as well, which may
interfere with their correct operation. Thus, the -nc option can be
used to prevent dhclient from dropping capabilities.
SEE ALSO
dhclient(8), dhcpd(8), dhcrelay(8), dhclient.conf(5) and
dhclient.leases(5).
AUTHOR
dhclient-script(8) has been written for Internet Systems Consortium by
Ted Lemon in cooperation with Vixie Enterprises. To learn more about
Internet Systems Consortium, see https://www.isc.org. To learn more
about Vixie Enterprises, see http://www.vix.com.
dhclient-script(8)
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