Hostname configuration on DHCP/DNS server: /etc/hosts vs. /etc/hostname

[Tom H]

On Sun, Mar 27, 2011 at 12:16 PM, Niki Kovacs <contact at kikinovak.net> wrote:
> Le 27/03/2011 16:29, Tom H a écrit :
>>
>> You're welcome. The contents of "/etc/hostname" and "/etc/hosts" (both
>> the "127.0.0.1" and "127.0.1.1" lines) are pretty much religious
>> arguments. You just have to use what works.
>>
>
> Yeah. I'm not the Sisyphus type, so I'll just flip a coin :o)
>
> BTW, another DHCP-related question comes to my mind. Take my sample
> dhcpd.conf:
>
> --8<---------------------------------------
> authoritative;
> default-lease-time 86400;
> max-lease-time 86400;
> option subnet-mask 255.255.255.0;
> option broadcast-address 192.168.1.255;
> option routers 192.168.1.254;
> option domain-name-servers 192.168.1.1;
> option domain-name "presbytere.montpezat";
>
> subnet 192.168.1.0 netmask 255.255.255.0 {
>        range 192.168.1.2 192.168.1.250;
> }
>
> host bernadette {
>  hardware ethernet 00:0d:61:a6:e7:1e;
>  fixed-address 192.168.1.2;
>  option host-name "bernadette";
> }
>
> host raymonde {
>  hardware ethernet 00:20:ed:b8:e8:ec;
>  fixed-address 192.168.1.3;
>  option host-name "raymonde";
> }
> --8<---------------------------------------
>
> You can see that some hosts have fixed IP addresses defined according to
> their respective MAC address. These addresses are within the range defined
> above, e. g. "range 192.168.1.2 192.168.1.250;". But sometimes I see
> configurations where these fixed addresses are given *outside* that range,
> and the configuration still seems to work.
>
> As far as I understand, "range 192.168.1.2 192.168.1.250;" gives the full
> range of address to be handled by the DHCP server, and that *includes* those
> fixed addresses allocated according to the hardware MAC addresses. Correct
> me if I'm wrong.

AFAIK the range is meant for dynamically-assigned addresses and the
pseudo-static/pseudo-dynamic addresses should be outside of that
range.