[pkg-dhcp-devel] Bug#628141: Bug#628141: reopening 628141

[Andrew Pollock]

On Sat, Jun 18, 2011 at 08:11:44PM +0200, Tomáš Janoušek wrote:
> Hello,
> 
> On Sat, Jun 18, 2011 at 09:57:17AM -0700, Andrew Pollock wrote:
> > On Sat, Jun 18, 2011 at 02:23:23PM +0200, Tomas Janousek wrote:
> > > It's not fixed in 4.1.1-P1-17. The hostname is being reset to whatever DHCP
> > > says, even if the machine is supposed to have a fixed hostname. The problem
> > > with X rejecting connections was experienced with 4.1.1-P1-17. Please, take a
> > > closer look.
> > 
> > If you don't want your hostname set by DHCP, don't request the host-name
> > option in dhclient.conf. See also #627825
> 
> Okay, sorry. I think that maybe it shouldn't be set in the default
> dhclient.conf, or there should at least be a note about it in NEWS.Debian.
> This is going to bite everyone who uses dhclient on a portable computer.

I'm open to changing the default to not request the host-name option,
especially since there is the behaviour change that you have observed. I can
also add a mention to NEWS.Debian. This wasn't an intentional change, but I
also didn't realise the old behaviour existed either.
 
> Also, what's going to happen if the DHCP server does send the hostname anyway?
> I'm afraid that the hostname will be changed then, allowing a malicious DHCP
> server to change hostnames of Debian machines whenever it likes to.

A malicious DHCP server can do a lot worse than just change the hostname. 

What exactly is breaking for you with respect to X when the hostname
changes? You get inconsistencies between $DISPLAY and reality, which messes
up local X11 applications?
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