Date:        Tue, 15 Feb 2000 14:45:37 -0800
    From:        Ted Lemon <mellon@isc.org>
    Message-ID:  <200002152245.OAA00578@grosse.manhattan.fugue.com>

  | I think the semantics for this would create usability issues.  Say you
  | have the DHCP client running, and you insert a new card.  If
  | "configure me" isn't a property inherent in the driver, how does the
  | client know, when it sees the message indicating that a card has been
  | inserted, that it should configure that card.

because the "card insertion" script would set the flag, if that is what
the user wants.   Without the flag, how does the dhcp client in that 
circumstance know not to configure the card, if configuring it isn't
wanted.   Even more weird - a card insertion script might pop up a window
with config options in it, where the user would select dhcp or not (and
if not, some addresses and other stuff) - so nothing static (like 
dhclient.conf) could really cope (unless you want processes editing that
on the fly, which I personally don't think is a great idea).

  | What really happens now is that you set up a client configuration file
  | that lists interfaces that need special treatment, and the client then
  | configures interfaces as they appear (although right now you have to
  | signal it to load up new interfaces).

the problem with this is that you have to know in advance what interfaces
might appear, and write them all in the config file - as I recall it,
anything not specified there gets configured (which is why people tend
to have problems with gif0 and other odd interfaces like that that they
never thought to explictly exclude).

  | To automate this, I'd think
  | you'd want the DHCP client to be able to decide right when the
  | interface came up what to do with it, rather than having a user
  | process do it.

I'm not sure that makes any difference.

kre