---
name: "dhcp6s"
section: "8"
platform: "linux"
package: "wide-dhcpv6-server"
version: "20080615-24"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/dhcp6s"
---

# dhcp6s(8)

DHCPv6 server

## NAME

**dhcp6s** – DHCPv6 server

## SYNOPSIS

**dhcp6s** \[**-c** *configfile*\] \[**-Ddf**\] \[**-k** *ctlkeyfile*\] \[**-p** *ctlport*\] \[**-P** *pid-file*\] *interface*

## DESCRIPTION

**dhcp6s** replies to DHCPv6 client as DHCPv6 server. **dhcp6s** can give the following information to clients.

- IPv6 prefixes for the requesting site

- Non-temporary IPv6 addresses

- A list of the DNS server addresses

- DNS Domain Search List

- A list of the NTP server addresses

- A list of the SIP server addresses

- SIP Server domain name

- A list of the NIS server addresses

- NIS domain name

- A list of the NIS+ server addresses

- NIS+ domain name

- A list of the BCMCS server addresses

- BCMCS Server domain name

Command line options are as below:

- **-c** *configfile*

  Use *configfile* as the configuration file.

- **-d**

  Print debugging messages.

- **-D**

  Even more debugging information is printed.

- **-f**

  Foreground mode (useful when debugging). Although **dhcp6s** usually prints warning, debugging, or error messages to syslog(8), it prints the messages to standard error if this option is specified.

- **-k** *ctlkeyfile*

  Use *ctlkeyfile* to store the shared secret to authenticate the communication with **dhcp6ctl**. The default file name used when unspecified is */etc/wide-dhcpv6/dhcp6sctlkey*. The default name is intentionally same as that for **dhcp6ctl** so that the server and the control command can share the file when **dhcp6ctl** controls the server on the same node, which should be the typical case.

- **-p** *ctlport*

  Use *ctlport* as the port number listening on to communicate with **dhcp6ctl**.

- **-P** *pid-file*

  Use *pid-file* to dump the process ID of **dhcp6s**.

## FILES

- */etc/wide-dhcpv6/dhcp6s.conf*

  is the default configuration file.

- */var/lib/dhcpv6/dhcp6s\_duid*

  is the default file to store the server's DUID.

- */etc/wide-dhcpv6/dhcp6sctlkey*

  is the default key file to communicate with the control command. See [dhcp6ctl(8)](/dhcp6ctl/8.md) for the file format.

- */var/run/dhcp6s.pid*

  is the default file that contains pid of the currently running **dhcp6s**.

## SEE ALSO

[dhcp6s.conf(5)](/dhcp6s.conf/5.md), [dhcp6ctl(8)](/dhcp6ctl/8.md), [dhcp6c(8)](/dhcp6c/8.md) Ralph Droms, Editor, *Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol for IPv6 (DHCPv6)*, RFC 3315, 2003.

## HISTORY

The **dhcp6s** command first appeared in WIDE/KAME IPv6 protocol stack kit.

The **-n** *dnsserv* command-line option was obsoleted by introducing a configuration file.

## BUGS

**dhcp6s** is incomplete and violates DHCPv6 protocol spec, in several aspects. To name a few:

1. it does not assign temporary IPv6 addresses (nor will).