Where to find ISC DHCP documentation?
  • 26 Jan 2022
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Where to find ISC DHCP documentation?

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Article Summary

Documentation for the ISC DHCP software includes the README file, the RELNOTES file, and the manual pages. The README file includes late-breaking operational and system-specific information that you should read even if you don't want to read the manual pages, and that you should certainly read if you run into trouble. Internet standards relating to the DHCP protocol are stored in the doc subdirectory (included with the source). You will have the best luck reading the manual pages if you build this software and then install it, although you can read them directly out of the distribution or by browsing the files below if you need to.

To read installed manual pages, use the man command. Type "man page" where page is the name of the manual page.

DHCP server documentation is in the dhcpd man page. Information about the DHCP server lease database is in the dhcpd.leases man page. Server configuration documentation is in the dhcpd.conf man page as well as the dhcp-options man page. A sample DHCP server configuration is in the file server/dhcpd.conf (in the source).

In addition, the dhcp-options man page should be referred to for information about DHCP options.

Please note: ISC DHCP 4.3 is End of Life; the links below for that version will take you to the man pages for ISC DHCP 4.4, which are nearly identical to those of 4.3.

dhcpd server man pages

dhcp version dhcpd dhcpd.conf options eval omapi omshell leases ctl
4.4 dhcpd conf options eval omapi omshell leases ctl
4.3 (EOL) dhcpd conf options eval omapi omshell leases ctl
4.1 dhcpd conf options eval omapi omshell leases ctl

DHCP relay agent documentation is in the dhcrelay man page.

dhc relay man pages

dhcpd version man page
4.4 dhcrelay
4.3 (EOL) dhcrelay
4.1 dhcrelay

DHCP client documentation is in the dhclient man page. DHCP client configuration documentation is in the dhclient.conf man page and the dhcp-options man page. The DHCP client configuration script is documented in the dhclient-script man page. The format of the DHCP client lease database is documented in the dhclient.leases man page.

dhc client man pages

dhc version dhc client script conf leases
4.4.3b client script conf leases
4.4 client script conf leases
4.3 (EOL) client script conf leases
4.1 client script conf leases