DHCP configuration instructions for Solaris

If you have any questions or problems configuring DHCP, contact Workstation User Support.

These instructions are written for Solaris 7, but they will probably also work for Solaris 8. For help configuring earlier versions of Solaris, contact Workstation User Support.

1. Log in as root at the console. Use a command-line login if possible, rather than a graphical one. (CDE allows you to do this from the "Options" menu button on the login screen.)

2. Determine the name of your workstation's network interface.

   
   /usr/sbin/ifconfig -a
   
   

   The output will resemble the two examples below:

   
   lo0: flags=849 mtu 8232
   
           inet 127.0.0.1 netmask ff000000 
   
   hme0: flags=863 mtu 1500
   
           inet 129.22.88.177 netmask ffff0000 broadcast 129.22.255.255
   
   

   or

   
   lo0: flags=849 mtu 8232
   
           inet 127.0.0.1 netmask ff000000 
   
   le0: flags=4843 mtu 1500
   
           inet 129.22.88.7 netmask ffff0000 broadcast 129.22.255.255
   
           ether 8:0:20:1b:38:2d 
   
   

   As you can see in each example, the ifconfig program lists two network interfaces. The first interface (showing the IP address "127.0.0.1") is called the "loopback" interface, and isn't important for configuring DHCP.

   The second interface is the one of interest for configuring DHCP, and its name varies depending on the model of your computer. In the first example, taken from a UltraSparc 5, the interface is named "hme0". In the second example, taken from a Sparc 10, it's named "le0". Make a note of the name of your workstation's network interface.

   NOTE: If the ifconfig program lists more than two interfaces, your computer has additional physical or virtual network interfaces. Contact Workstation User Support for assistance.

3. Create an empty file named "/etc/dhcp.[interface name]". For an interface named "hme0", the command would be

   
   touch /etc/dhcp.hme0
   
   

4. Similarly, create the two empty files /etc/notrouter and /etc/default/dhcp.

   
   touch /etc/notrouter
   
   touch /etc/default/dhcp
   
   

5. Delete the contents of the /etc/hostname.[interface name] file using a text editor (such as vi) or using a command such as

   
   > /etc/hostname.hme0
   
   

6. Similarly, delete the contents of /etc/defaultrouter and /etc/resolv.conf.

   
   > /etc/defaultrouter
   
   > /etc/resolv.conf
   
   

7. Delete all the entries in the /etc/hosts file except the one for

   
   127.0.0.1 localhost
   
   

8. Reboot the computer.

   
   /sbin/init 6
   
   

These instructions were adapted from a posting on the Sun Managers mailing list.

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