[lug] IP alias and DHCP mix

[D. Stimits]

I'm trying to set up a fedora core 5 machine with a single NIC. For the 
moment, I have a static address assigned to eth0 so I can ssh in (it 
doesn't have a keyboard or monitor, though I could grab one with some 
difficulty). The ssh works fine, it's a non-public 192.x address.

I'm trying to assign an alias for eth0:0, so that it can grab a dhcp 
address as well (if I do just dhcp I can no longer talk to it, I don't 
control the dhcp server). It keeps failing with some bogus message that 
does not make any sense, which would seem like it is trying to be 
assigned an address that overlaps another...but there is no possible way 
it could, this box does not request any particular IP, the dhcp server 
is for a public IP and the only other IP is an unrelated non-public. The 
message I'm getting is:

Determining IP information for eth0:0...SIOCSIFFLAGS: Cannot assign 
requested address
SIOCSIFFLAGS: Cannot assign requested address
 failed.

The script (real MAC hidden) 
"/etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-eth0:0" is:
DEVICE=eth0:0
BOOTPROTO=dhcp
HWADDR=00:01:02:03:04:05
ONBOOT=yes
TYPE=Ethernet
DHCP_HOSTNAME=stub

Is there some restriction that an IP alias cannot work as DHCP? Is there 
any other possibility of why it would fail other than requesting a 
non-assignable IP (since it does not ask for a particular IP)?

I'll add that other linux machines on this same dhcp server work fine 
with very similar scripts (aside from not being a virtual IP alias). 
Obviously the NIC works, or my ssh could not get in.

D. Stimits, stimits AT comcast DOT net