[pkg-dhcp-devel] Bug#824024: isc-dhcp-server: Will not start if interfaces are not specified

[Detlef Lannert]

Package: isc-dhcp-server
Version: 4.3.4-1
Severity: normal

Dear Maintainer,

The start script for isc-dhcp-server requires that either INTERFACES or
INTERFACESv4 be set in /etc/default/isc-dhcp-server. For large installations
with several dozen interfaces (routers, firewalls) and frequently changing
configuration it is not sensible to dynamically create a (redundant) list
of interfaces and always inject it into this variable.

For a good reason, dhcpd offers the possibility not to specify a list of
interfaces (see manpage) and instead find out by itself. This also worked
in earlier versions of isc-dhcp-server when the administrator left the
INTERFACES variable unset.

Currently, if this list is not set, the daemon just exits with code 0. When
using systemd, this problem is hard to debug; a solution requires editing
the init script (or I was too thick to find a better solution).

Please open up a way to start the daemon without an interface list, for
instance by allowing a value of 'all' (or '*') for INTERFACESv4/v6.

Regards,
  Detlef

-- System Information:
Debian Release: stretch/sid
Architecture: amd64 (x86_64)

Kernel: Linux 4.5.0-2-amd64 (SMP w/8 CPU cores)
Locale: LANG=de_DE.UTF-8, LC_CTYPE=de_DE.UTF-8 (charmap=UTF-8)
Shell: /bin/sh linked to /bin/dash
Init: systemd (via /run/systemd/system)

Versions of packages isc-dhcp-server depends on:
ii  debconf [debconf-2.0]  1.5.59
ii  debianutils            4.7
ii  libc6                  2.22-7
ii  libdns-export162       1:9.10.3.dfsg.P4-10
ii  libirs-export141       1:9.10.3.dfsg.P4-10
ii  libisc-export160       1:9.10.3.dfsg.P4-10
ii  lsb-base               9.20160110

Versions of packages isc-dhcp-server recommends:
ii  isc-dhcp-common  4.3.4-1
ii  policycoreutils  2.5-1

Versions of packages isc-dhcp-server suggests:
ii  isc-dhcp-server-ldap  4.3.4-1

-- debconf information:
  isc-dhcp-server/config_warn:
  isc-dhcp-server/interfaces: