DHCP lease - static mapping - hostname with number as first letter

[Nachtfalke]

Hi,

There is an error, when I try to add a static mapping to a client which hostname starts with a number.
Could this be easily fiex or is this a problem because of syntax problems if the hostname starts with a number ?


[jimp]

As the error says, RFC952 states that a host name can't begin with a number. Some places might allow that, but technically by the RFC it isn't a valid hostname.

[The Deviant]

@jimp:

As the error says, RFC952 states that a host name can't begin with a number. Some places might allow that, but technically by the RFC it isn't a valid hostname.

Just got this error myself after attempting the same, and found this thread.

RFC 952 has been updated by RFC 1123 (Section 2.1), which does allow the host name to start with a digit.

This should be considered a bug, and fixed in the RC; since a host name can begin with a number, the message is in error.

2.1  Host Names and Numbers

The syntax of a legal Internet host name was specified in RFC-952
     [DNS:4].  One aspect of host name syntax is hereby changed: the
     restriction on the first character is relaxed to allow either a
     letter or a digit.  Host software MUST support this more liberal
     syntax.

–td

[The Deviant]

I haven't seen this entered in the bugs for the 2.0-RCs yet, and it still appears broken in the latest snapshot build (Fri Aug 5 12:14:15 EDT 2011).
Just curious where it stood.

–td

[jimp]

Just didn't have time to get to it when I saw the last post, and forgot about it until now…

https://github.com/bsdperimeter/pfsense/commit/4f163cb886685867283cd756ded072b82f515674

Should be OK in the next new snap.

(Not sure I'd have called that "broken" ... starting hostnames with digits still seems like a bad idea to me. No idea what other software out there might not be obeying the updated RFC properly...)

[Nachtfalke]

Hi jimp,

thanks for "fixing" that.

@The Deviant
Thanks for finding this new RFC ;)

[The Deviant]

@jimp:

Should be OK in the next new snap.

Thanks, jimp!

@Nachtfalke:
Strangely I noticed this with Aastra VoIP phones, which, by default, assign a host name starting with the phone's (numeric) model number…  Glad it will be sorted going forward...

--td