+++ This bug was initially created as a clone of Bug #165735 +++ Description of problem: If no DNS PTR record exists for the IP address that is assigned to a diskless boot client, disklessrc will set the hostname to '3(NXDOMAIN' , which becomes the name of the snapshot directory that the client will attempt to mount . Any hostname that may have been set by the DHCP server is ignored. This is a latent problem with all previous releases of {system,redhat}-config-netboot , and stems from this code in disklessrc: --- disklessrc, @line 220: # # Mount the snapshot directory from the server and then mount files # in the snapshot/files file over the the shared ones # IP=`/sbin/ifconfig $ETHERNET|grep inet|cut -f 2 -d ':'|cut -f 1 -d ' '` # # Setup the hostname for the diskless client. # hostname `host $IP | sed 's/.* \(.*\)./\1/'` 2> /dev/null if [ -z "${SNAPSHOT}" ]; then SNAPSHOT=`hostname` fi --- To fix this, I propose : 1. Check if any host name was set by the dhclient session - if so, use that hostname. 2. If no hostname was set by the dhclient session, and the 'host $IP' lookup fails, and $SNAPSHOT is not null, set the hostname to $SNAPSHOT . 3. If no hostname was set by the dhclient session, and the 'host $IP' lookup fails, and $SNAPSHOT is null, then set the hostname to the IP address, because pxeboot will create a default snapshot directory named with whatever IP address was given as the host configuration file name, and there is a chance that this will be a 32 bit IP address. This is better than multiple clients using the '3(NXDOMAIN' snapshot directory. Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable): ALL How reproducible: 100% Steps to Reproduce: Set up a boot client with no 'SNAPSHOT=' setting, to obtain an IP address via DHCP for which there is no DNS PTR record Actual results: Client will boot with hostname '3(NXDOMAIN' and create the snapshot directory ${NFSSERVER}:/${CLIENT_ROOT}/snapshot/3\(NXDOMAIN Expected results: Client should ensure it sets its hostname and snapshot directory name to a unique value regardless of whether its IP address is in the DNS. It should be possible to set the hostname for the client in the DHCP server configuration. Additional info:
See comments in Bug 165735 . Fixed in redhat-config-netboot-0.1.24-1_EL3, available from: http://people.redhat.com/~jvdias/redhat-config-netboot
An advisory has been issued which should help the problem described in this bug report. This report is therefore being closed with a resolution of ERRATA. For more information on the solution and/or where to find the updated files, please follow the link below. You may reopen this bug report if the solution does not work for you. http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHBA-2005-486.html