Red Hat Bugzilla – Bug 439273
No GUI SysAdmin support for hard wired permanent LAN use of DHCP IP number assignment
Last modified: 2008-03-29 16:41:12 EDT
Description of problem: NetworkManager is not a suitable application for desktop startup on a hardwired permanent LAN with a dedicated DHCP server responsible for providing IP numbers to desktops. DHCP (for the hardwired interface only) should run independently of NetworkManager, immediately after network is started. This can be configured by hand, but it is the right way to do things and ought to be an easily accessible option. I use the configuration in a home network with a 10 year old 256Mib 300MHz i586 Fedora router/firewall/web server/DHCP BOOTP server/localnet nameserver/caching nameserver/NTP server/etc. in front of my DSL modem. Others must do this too. Why can't it be a standard option? Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable): Fedora-9-beta How reproducible: every install Steps to Reproduce: 1. Install system on a desktop 2. Ask for automatic assignment of hostname, IP, etc. on the hardwired interface. 3. Note that NTP does not startup properly. Actual results: IP number is not assigned until NetworkManager starts, which is too late for some services like NTP and NFS. Expected results: There should be an additional option in the install network interface configuration for hardwired LAN with local DHCP server and remotely assigned static IP (or even Broadband with purchased permanent IP) vs. Broadband or dial-up or wireless with dynamic IP. Why should I have to enter the IP number into each desktop by hand? I want it centralized on the DHCP server, and I don't want to have to do extensive manual sysadmin work on each desktop to make NTP and NFS work. Additional info:
system-config-network is a GUI In there, you can specify, if NetworkManager should control the interface, or not. If not, the interface should come up with DHCP on boot time, without any user logged in.
Ok, but the interface does not come up with DHCP until NetworkManager runs, even though it though the controlled by NetworkManager box is not checked. By that time, ntpd has discarded all of the servers and is effectively dead until restarted. Leaving this not-a-bug: I will file a few different bugs reporting the actual problem (also the install dialog does not have anything about Network Manager).