System Administration Guide: IP Services

Configuring and Unconfiguring a Solaris DHCP Client

When you install the Solaris operating environment from CD-ROM, you are prompted to use DHCP to configure network interfaces. If you select yes, the DHCP client software is enabled on your system during Solaris installation. You do not need to do anything else on the Solaris client to use DHCP.

If a client system is already running the Solaris operating environment and not using DHCP, you must unconfigure the system and issue some commands to set up the system to use DHCP when it boots.

If your client is not a Solaris client, consult the client documentation for configuration instructions.

How to Configure a Solaris DHCP Client

This procedure is necessary only if DHCP was not enabled during Solaris installation.

  1. Become superuser on the client system.

  2. If this system uses preconfiguration instead of interactive configuration, edit the sysidcfg file to add the dhcp subkey to the network_interface keyword.

    For example, network_interface=le0 {dhcp}. See the sysidcfg(4) man page for more information.

  3. Unconfigure and shut down the system by typing the following command:


    # sys-unconfig
    

    See the sys-unconfig(1M) man page for more information about what configuration information is removed by this command.

  4. Reboot the system after it has completely shut down.

    You are prompted for system configuration information by sysidtool programs when the system reboots. See the sysidtool(1M) man page for more information.

  5. When prompted to use DHCP to configure network interfaces, specify Yes.

    If you preconfigured the system by using a sysidcfg file, insert the network_interface keyword, and specify dhcp as a dependent keyword. For example, network_interface=le0 {dhcp}.

How to Unconfigure a Solaris DHCP Client

  1. Become superuser on the client system.

  2. If you use a sysidcfg file to preconfigure the client, remove the dhcp subkey from the network_interface keyword.

  3. Unconfigure and shut down the system by typing the following command:


    # sys-unconfig
    

    See the sys-unconfig(1M) man page for more information about which configuration information is removed by this command.

  4. Reboot the system after it has completely shut down.

    Because you unconfigured the system, you will be prompted for configuration information by sysidtool programs when the system reboots. See the sysidtool(1M) man page for more information.

  5. When prompted to use DHCP to configure network interfaces, specify No.

    If you use sysidcfg to specify configuration, you will not be prompted.