Re: sysadmin qualifications (Re: apt-get vs. aptitude)
On Sat, 12 Oct 2013 14:28:10 +0200
berenger.morel@neutralite.org wrote:
>
> 1: of course, a DHCP can helps, and I have seen those made by an
> association starting to buy and configure dedicated hardware. But
> even then, the last time I went there they had not setup a DHCP.
> Windows is able to build a network without IP conflicts very well, in
> default configurations. I strongly doubt that Debian would be, but,
> of course, there is no DHCP daemon in default installations of
> end-user Debian systems. Plus, even if everyone had a DHCP, some
> magic would have to be made to make them able to discuss about which
> computer should take which address. Magic which is already present in
> Windows XP (not sure about more recent ones)
>
I think the vast majority of computers are used with an Internet
connection, which these days means a router rather than a modem. Routers
have DHCP servers enabled by default, and Windows expects DHCP use by
default, so it should just all work, even over wireless.
In the absence of DHCP or a manually-configured address, Windows will
use random link-local (169.254.x.y) addresses, which with 2^16 addresses
available will normally work fine in a group. Unfortunately, if some
minor issue prevents Windows machines in an established network seeing
DHCP during boot, they will not re-try their last address, but will
pick one of these addresses, which guarantees they won't connect with
anything else in the network.
I'm not sure about Debian these days: the last time I installed Debian
(etch, I think) in default (not expert) mode without a DHCP server
present, the result was that no networking software was installed at
all. Reporting this as a bug, I was as usual told that it was a
feature. What was really annoying was that it was a netinstall...
Certainly if there is a DHCP server running on installation, Debian Just
Works.
--
Joe
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