Why isn't dhcp set as default in rc.conf during installation?

cdwillis · 2009-01-04 00:22:50

Seems to me that it should be. Thoughts?

dolby · 2009-01-04 00:26:17

Cause some people dont like using it? In Archlinux you are supposed to have the choice.

fwojciec · 2009-01-04 00:31:41

I would agree with cdwillis that "dhcp" is better default configuration than a random/arbitrary static IP configuration. I always thought that was a bug, but never cared enough about it to report it.

dolby · 2009-01-04 00:42:53

Can you give the rest of us some reasoning about your claims?

fwojciec · 2009-01-04 01:00:46

As far as I'm concerned:

I don't know if this is the issue that the OP is referring to, but something like this happened to me during a few installs (non-FTP): the default rc.conf had some completely arbitrary static IP address defined and enabled by default. I always thought that the 'dhcp' option (and perhaps a static IP example commented out for reference) would have been a better default setting -- just a simple way to make many if not most network setups work out of the box. The arbitrary static IP configuration is unlikely to work on too many systems, so I could never quite figure out what it was doing there enabled by default.

It's mostly an aesthetic preference. Like I said -- it's not a huge issue, I usually just change the whole thing when I edit rc.conf during installation.

Sjoden · 2009-01-04 01:04:20

I think it'd be nice to have the line assigning a static IP and another line with "dhcp", but just have both commented out.

#eth0="eth0 192.168.0.2 netmask 255.255.255.0 broadcast 192.168.0.255"
#eth0="dhcp"

Whats the reasoning to having an arbitrary IP assigned verses dhcp? In my experience if your statically assigning IP addresses, your not using one of the 192.168.x.x networks anyways.

Last edited by Sjoden (2009-01-04 01:05:16)

X/ax · 2009-01-04 01:04:32

Isn't it so that that arbitrary IP is actually the ip you received through dhcp during setup?
Otherwise I would think the IP would be in the (whatever the technical terms are again) in the range of 254. [... ...], making it not really arbitrary but logical (in a way)

cdwillis · 2009-01-04 01:04:59

Basically what fwojciec is what I'm talking about. The static IP should be commented out with dhcp automatically enabled if the static IP is going to work less often than enabling dhcp by default.

Sjoden · 2009-01-04 01:07:43

X/ax, I never install Arch, or any OS, while connected to a network. It's the same IP everytime. As far I know dhcp isn't called on boot with the setup cd.

fwojciec · 2009-01-04 01:08:41

@X/ax: Unless 'dhcp' is specified dhcpcd will not be used at all -- a static connection connects using ifconfig/route if I remember correctly.

tomk · 2009-01-04 01:09:48

cdwillis - you can discuss it here, but if you want the devs to consider it, post a feature request in the bugtracker (if it's not there already).

dolby · 2009-01-04 01:42:04

The installer automatically edits rc.conf with the selections you made during installation if you want to.
What else do you need?

cdwillis · 2009-01-04 02:44:46

I don't remember it asking me if I wanted dhcp enabled, I had to edit rc.conf and enable it myself. I realize this isn't a deal breaker, but if that's what the majority of users would use I don't see why it's not default with the other option commented out.

Sjoden · 2009-01-04 04:49:01

I think that Dolby meant that you have the chance to edit your rc.conf when go through the Configure step in the install.

dolby · 2009-01-04 04:59:59

No i mean that if you use dhcp in a network installation, which always the prefered method to install Archlinux for various reasons, if you use dhcp the installer is gonna ask you at the point where you go to edit the config files, "Do you want to use settings used for installation?" Or something similar, and autocompletes all network related settings to rc.conf. Theres your answer to "Why isnt dhcp the default in rc.conf during installation" Its because you didnt make it the default.

Last edited by dolby (2009-01-04 05:04:11)

alex_anthony · 2009-01-04 17:26:47

but as Sjoden said, not everyone does FTP installs. For those of us who do core installation from CD (or USB), we don't connect to the internet during installation so don't have internet configs to make as the default

Misfit138 · 2009-01-04 19:45:30

Make a feature request on the bugtracker.
If enough people get a buzz going and vote for it on the request page, I am sure the devs will implement this in an upcoming release. It is a very small thing.
Further debate will most likely land this thread in TGN.

cdwillis · 2009-01-04 20:20:33

I've added it to the bug tracker:

http://bugs.archlinux.org/index.php?do= … k_id=12670

fwojciec · 2009-01-04 20:24:43

Thanks cdwillis. I also added a link to this thread in the comments to the feature request.

moljac024 · 2009-01-04 20:50:58

+1 for this.
DHCP is a more sane default.

Or both lines present and commented out...

Arch Linux

#1 2009-01-04 00:22:50

Why isn't dhcp set as default in rc.conf during installation?

#2 2009-01-04 00:26:17

Re: Why isn't dhcp set as default in rc.conf during installation?

#3 2009-01-04 00:31:41

Re: Why isn't dhcp set as default in rc.conf during installation?

#4 2009-01-04 00:42:53

Re: Why isn't dhcp set as default in rc.conf during installation?

#5 2009-01-04 01:00:46

Re: Why isn't dhcp set as default in rc.conf during installation?

#6 2009-01-04 01:04:20

Re: Why isn't dhcp set as default in rc.conf during installation?

#7 2009-01-04 01:04:32

Re: Why isn't dhcp set as default in rc.conf during installation?

#8 2009-01-04 01:04:59

Re: Why isn't dhcp set as default in rc.conf during installation?

#9 2009-01-04 01:07:43

Re: Why isn't dhcp set as default in rc.conf during installation?

#10 2009-01-04 01:08:41

Re: Why isn't dhcp set as default in rc.conf during installation?

#11 2009-01-04 01:09:48

Re: Why isn't dhcp set as default in rc.conf during installation?

#12 2009-01-04 01:42:04

Re: Why isn't dhcp set as default in rc.conf during installation?

#13 2009-01-04 02:44:46

Re: Why isn't dhcp set as default in rc.conf during installation?

#14 2009-01-04 04:49:01

Re: Why isn't dhcp set as default in rc.conf during installation?

#15 2009-01-04 04:59:59

Re: Why isn't dhcp set as default in rc.conf during installation?

#16 2009-01-04 17:26:47

Re: Why isn't dhcp set as default in rc.conf during installation?

#17 2009-01-04 19:45:30

Re: Why isn't dhcp set as default in rc.conf during installation?

#18 2009-01-04 20:20:33

Re: Why isn't dhcp set as default in rc.conf during installation?

#19 2009-01-04 20:24:43

Re: Why isn't dhcp set as default in rc.conf during installation?

#20 2009-01-04 20:50:58

Re: Why isn't dhcp set as default in rc.conf during installation?

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