The server uses ip=dhcp in the kernel command line to configure networking in the initramfs.

The initial DHCP lease is received correctly. However, ipconfig exits after configuring the interface, and no DHCP client remains running to renew the lease. The server can remain in the initramfs for some time while waiting for the encrypted root filesystem to be unlocked remotely. If the DHCP lease expires during that time, the server may lose network access.

Expected result: the DHCP lease is renewed while the initramfs is still running.
Actual result: the initial lease is received, but it is not renewed.

This appears related to bug #974109.

Affected systems: Debian 13/14

Control: tag -1 wontfix
networking in the initramfs.
after configuring the interface, and no DHCP client remains running to
renew the lease. The server can remain in the initramfs for some time
while waiting for the encrypted root filesystem to be unlocked remotely.
If the DHCP lease expires during that time, the server may lose network
access.
still running.
[...]

I can see that there is a problem here, but I think that solving this
would be a fairly big change.  Since initramfs-tools is in maintenance
mode and most effort is going into dracut now, I don't plan to work on
this.

Ben.