The Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) is a critical component of any network. In Linux networking, it is used for allocating IP addresses dynamically within a network.
The DHCP server effectively manages the IP addresses and information related to them, making sure that each client machine gets a unique IP and all the correct network information.
In Linux, DHCP can be configured and managed using terminal commands. This involves the installation of the DHCP server software, editing the configuration files, and managing the server's services.
A traditional DHCP server should have a static IP address to manage the IP distribution effectively. The DHCP in Linux also handles DNS and other related data that your network might require.
Here is an example of a basic command to install a DHCP server in a Debian-based Linux:
sudo apt-get install isc-dhcp-server
After the installation process, all configurations of the DHCP server are done in the configuration file located at /etc/dhcp/dhcpd.conf which can be edited using any text editor.