root@ihack.net writes:
> 	tcpdump shows that the response from dhcpd to the BOOTP request
> 	does not, in fact, contain the root path name; thus I suspect
> 	this may actually be a bug in dhcpd (same vintage as kernel).

I would suspect that it might be a configuration issue.  In
particular, i note that:

> 	06:09:31.694376 0:10:4b:62:ae:3c ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff 0800 534: 0.0.0.0.68 > 255.255.255.255.67:  [udp sum ok] xid:0x7ffffff vend-rfc1048 [ttl 1] (id 6)
> 	06:09:31.715642 0:0:f4:d4:15:ef 0:10:4b:62:ae:3c 0800 342: 18.187.1.80.67 > 255.255.255.255.68:  [udp sum ok] xid:0x7ffffff Y:18.187.1.71 S:18.187.1.80 vend-rfc1048 dhpc-srvid:18.187.1.80 SM:255.255.0.0 DG:18.187.0.1 NS:18.70.0.160,18.71.0.151 HN:"quiche-lorraine.mit.edu" if-lsubnet:0 [tos 0x10] (ttl 16, id 0)
> 	06:09:31.718850 0:10:4b:62:ae:3c ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff 0806 60: arp who-has 18.187.1.71 tell 18.187.1.71

there's a bunch of stuff there.  (vartious tags, hostname, etc.)

bootp has a much smaller amount of space in the packet available for
data than dhcp does.  (see the RFCs if you want exact numbers.  8-)

One of the items that's often squeezed out when there's an overrun is
the boot path, because it tends to be rather large.  You might try
severely trimming the information sent to bootp clients.

There's no real solution, i don't think, but it might be nice if the
server would issue a diagnostic when it has to truncate reply contents
like this, too...



cgd
-- 
Chris Demetriou - cgd@netbsd.org - http://www.netbsd.org/People/Pages/cgd.html
Disclaimer: Not speaking for NetBSD, just expressing my own opinion.