OpenBSD unable to configure DHCP on eth0

[cravuhaw2C]

During installation, OpenBSD was unable to automatically configure DHCP on IPv4 on eth0.

The following is a partial report on what happened:

Issuing hostname-associated DHCP request for eth0

DHCPDISCOVER on eth0 to 255.255.255.255 port 67 interval 1
DHCPDISCOVER on eth0 to 255.255.255.255 port 67 interval 11
DHCPDISCOVER on eth0 to 255.255.255.255 port 67 interval 17
(and it went on for a few more intervals)

No acceptable DHCPOFFERS received
No working leases in persistent database - sleeping

Issuing free-roaming DHCP request for eth0

DHCPDISCOVER on eth0 to 255.255.255.255 port 67 interval 2
DHCPDISCOVER on eth0 to 255.255.255.255 port 67 interval 4
DHCPDISCOVER on eth0 to 255.255.255.255 port 67 interval 12
(again it went on for a few more intervals)

No acceptable DHCPOFFERS received

How do I fix the problem?

Thanks in advance for your help.

[blackhole]

$ ifconfig

will show you the interface name you need

$ man hostname.if

hostname.* files should be named after the interface, not Linux style eth0, eth1, wlan0, etc.

Rename your hostname.* file accordingly and

# sh /etc/netstart

[cravuhaw2C]

Originally Posted by cynwulf

$ ifconfig

will show you the interface name you need....

During installation there is no option for me to type ifconfig at the prompt.

[blackhole]

Well I assume you've already gotten the system installed without setting up your network...?

This would appear to be the case from your other threads/posts?

Can you boot the system and issue "ifconfig" and look at the output, yes or no?

[jggimi]

As mentioned in another thread, Linux is not BSD. The commands used to perform some task may be the same ... but you must never assume that. As in this instance. Both Linux and the BSDs have ifconfig commands, used to configure network interface connections (NICs). But the commands themselves are very different.

In particular, you have been stung by a Linuxism.* Linux uses eth0, eth1, ... to name network interfaces...the BSDs name their interface after the NIC driver used to operate the device. Which will vary, from platform to platform. fxp0, em1, alc3, vio2 .. and many, many others.

As cynwulf stated, log into your system and type:

# ifconfig

The default will show you every physical NIC known to the OS, as well as a few pseudo-NICs used in network management, and you will learn their names and number assignments.

If, during installation, you were not offered network configuration options, it may be because your network interface(s) are not known to the OS.

The most valuable tool at your disposal, and the most helpful tool for sharing information with others, is your dmesg(8). This is all of the kernel messages produced at boot time, and if you share the output with us, will tell us not only which exact flavor of the OS you are running, on which architecture, who built the kernel, and when ... it will show us everything the kernel discovered about your hardware, and which drivers were loaded to support the hardware ... and any discovered hardware that is not supported.

* Something the Linux kernel does or Linux distributions do that either amuses or annoys people who use Unix or other Unix-like systems.

[ibara]

Did you by chance enter "eth0" when the installer asked you which network device you wanted to use? It should have provided you with options (the default selection usually being the correct one).

[cravuhaw2C]

Originally Posted by cynwulf

Well I assume you've already gotten the system installed without setting up your network...?

This would appear to be the case from your other threads/posts?

Your assumption is wrong. I encountered a problem: http://daemonforums.org/showthread.php?t=8578

[cravuhaw2C]

Originally Posted by jggimi

As mentioned in another thread, Linux is not BSD.

You meant BSD is not Linux?

Well in the mind of the general public, the impression is BSD = Linux.

Originally Posted by jggimi

If, during installation, you were not offered network configuration options, it may be because your network interface(s) are not known to the OS.

I don't know why OpenBSD has problems detecting my NIC. Debian, Ubuntu, Linux Mint, ArchLinux and even Gentoo have no problems detecting it.

[cravuhaw2C]

Originally Posted by ibara

Did you by chance enter "eth0" when the installer asked you which network device you wanted to use?....

Mea maxima culpa.

It's a typo on my part.

It should be re0. (I suppose re stands for Realtek?)

[cravuhaw2C]

Originally Posted by jggimi

As cynwulf stated, log into your system and type:

# ifconfig

I'm unable to. The problem is: http://daemonforums.org/showthread.php?t=8578

[jggimi]

Can you please capture a dmesg? This can be from the installation media if you have not successfully installed, as you have stated both that you have, and that you have not.

See FAQ 4.16 for an example using a diskette; you can do the same thing with a FAT formatted USB stick, which will likely be device sd1 -- you will find out by reading the kernel messages upon insertion. The foreign FAT filesystem, if there is one, will be automatically assigned to partition i.

# mount /dev/sd1i /mnt
# dmesg > /mnt/my.dmesg
# umount /mnt

[cravuhaw2C]

Originally Posted by jggimi

Can you please capture a dmesg? This can be from the installation media if you have not successfully installed, as you have stated both that you have, and that you have not.

Thank you for not losing your patience with me, an ultra-slow learner. And I hope you will have lots of patience to teach me in the future.

Back to your statements "as you have stated both that you have, and that you have not"

I'm sorry I didn't provide a detailed timeline of what I did with OpenBSD installation.

Just only today I installed and reinstalled OpenBSD at least 3 times. The very first time I installed OpenBSD was successful. I just don't know how and why OpenBSD was able to detect my NIC.

However on the second and third reinstallation attempts, OpenBSD was unable to detect my NIC.

What I did next was to ATA secure erase my SSD and installed Ubuntu. Well Ubuntu was able to detect my NIC, auto-configured DHCP and completed the installation successfully. I deduced the problem was not with my router or NIC.

I issued an ATA secure erase command to my SSD to erase the installed Ubuntu OS.

I tried to reinstall OpenBSD and again the OS was unable to detect my NIC and auto-configure DHCP for me (IPv4).

Originally Posted by jggimi

The foreign FAT filesystem will likely be sd1i.

Sorry, what is this "foreign FAT filesystem"? the USB flash drive?

Originally Posted by jggimi

# mount /dev/sd1i /mnt
# dmesg > /mnt/my.dmesg
# umount /mnt

Are these instructions to dump my dmesg to the USB flash drive?

Can your instructions be carried out whilst the installation process is taking place?

[jggimi]

You've status success with installation, here, an above you've stated you have not succeeded.

We are all at the opposite end of the Internet from you. Way over here, we cannot see what you are doing. We cannot look over your shoulder. We only have the limited information you provide to us, and when that information conflicts with itself, we have no idea what information is correct and what information was provided to us in error.

And, please allow me to level-set this one more time, with what I hope is greater clarity:

Well in the mind of the general public, the impression is BSD = Linux.

This is false, as agreed in the settlement between Unix Systems Laboratories and the Regents of the University of California 20 years ago -- BSD is not Unix, and in the history of the Linux kernel and Linux distributions, Linux is not Unix either. An apple is not an orange. A banana is not an orange. They are both fruit, but they are not the same.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Linux

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berkele...e_Distribution

[cravuhaw2C]

Originally Posted by jggimi

You've status success with installation, here, an above you've stated you have not succeeded.

On a single day today, I installed and reinstalled OpenBSD at least 3 times.

The first time was successful, as you have pointed out correctly. OpenBSD was able to detect my NIC. It was when I used the entire SSD for OpenBSD.

The second and subsequent times were unsuccessful: OpenBSD was unable to auto-configure DHCP for me. I noticed that the first primary partition was used for Ubuntu and I wanted to install OpenBSD to the second primary partition.

Originally Posted by jggimi

And, please allow me to level-set this one more time, with what I hope is greater clarity:This is false, as agreed in the settlement between Unix Systems Laboratories and the Regents of the University of California 20 years ago.

Thanks for the education. I really appreciate it.

But in the mind of the populace, OpenBSD, FreeBSD, Debian, Ubuntu, ArchLinux, Gentoo, Mandriva, etc....are all considered to be Linux OSes. Sometimes computer magazine reviewers and bloggers even use the term *nix operating systems to refer to OpenBSD, FreeBSD, Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, Redhat, lumped together.

[cravuhaw2C]

Originally Posted by jggimi

....BSD is not Unix, and in the history of the Linux kernel and Linux distributions, Linux is not Unix either....

You're right.

Linux is NOT Unix.

When I first heard about Linux, I asked the question: What's that?

The general reply is invariably: Oh well, it's an OS based on Unix. It's not Microsoft Windows OS or Apple OS.

[shep]

I'm trying not to stir up any more mudd. Do you have access to a second computer?
If you do the FAQ, section 4 will walk you through the installation. It is well indexed and a quick perusal would have shown that section 6.2 describes identifying network devices and howto setup a simple interface.

If you do not perhaps you can print out the install section and go from there.

[cravuhaw2C]

Originally Posted by shep

If you do the FAQ, section 4 will walk you through the installation. It is well indexed and a quick perusal would have shown that section 6.2 describes identifying network devices and howto setup a simple interface.

Thank you for your help.

Configuring the network with DHCP is the least of my worries, at least for now.

The main obstacle is: http://daemonforums.org/showthread.php?t=8578

[blackhole]

Originally Posted by cravuhaw2C

But in the mind of the populace, OpenBSD, FreeBSD, Debian, Ubuntu, ArchLinux, Gentoo, Mandriva, etc....are all considered to be Linux OSes.

This is incorrect. The "populace" probably haven't heard of BSD operating systems in the first place. Regardless, BSD is not Linux whatever you or "the populace" may think.

Originally Posted by cravuhaw2C

Sometimes computer magazine reviewers and bloggers even use the term *nix operating systems to refer to OpenBSD, FreeBSD, Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, Redhat, lumped together.

Magazine reviewers and bloggers are not a reliable source for anything.

Once you rename your hostname.if, the network should work - either way that's when you should start diagnosing any further problems with your network. Also during install, if you select the correct device and select DHCP it should acquire an address and connect to your network - not guaranteed of course, you could have unsupported hardware.

Until you provide a dmesg, it's all speculative.