[CentOS] DHCP server and Windows XP clients : set hostname ?

Wed Apr 7 13:13:59 UTC 2010
Niki Kovacs <contact at kikinovak.net>

Hi,

For the last few years, I've been using exclusively Linux on servers and 
desktops, so I don't know anything about Microsoft products.

When setting up a 100% GNU/Linux LAN, I use a local DHCP and DNS caching 
server, and then all the clients are configured to use DHCP. Hostnames 
are all handled by the server. This works very well and never causes any 
headaches.

Now a local town hall has asked me to join their two networks (so they 
can exchange files via Samba), one using Windows XP on desktops, and the 
other running CentOS desktops. I plan to handle hostnames, IP addresses 
etc. as usual, by one central DHCP/DNS caching server. Right now I'm 
testing this on my "sandbox" network (three machines using Ghost images 
from various systems). I can configure a Windows XP desktop to get 
network configuration from the DHCP server OK, but 1) where does an XP 
desktops' hostname appear? 2) how can I handle it from the DHCP server 
(that is, *if* it's possible)?

Cheers,

Niki