NIS(8)							    BSD System Manager's Manual 						    NIS(8)

NAME

     nis, yp -- description of the NIS (formerly YP) subsystem

SYNOPSIS

     ypbind [-ypset]
     ypbind [-ypsetme]

     ypset [-h host] [-d domain] server

     yppoll [-h host] [-d domain] mapname

     ypcat [-kt] [-d domainname] mapname
     ypcat -x

     ypmatch [-kt] [-d domainname] key ... mapname
     ypmatch -x

     ypwhich [-d domain] [[-t] -m [mname] | host]
     ypwhich -x

     ypserv [-d] [-x]

     yppush [-d domainname] [-h hostname] [-v] mapname

     ypxfr [-bcf] [-d domain] [-h host] [-s domain] [-C tid prog ipadd port] mapname

     ypinit -m [domainname]
     ypinit -s master_server [domainname]

     yptest

     rpc.yppasswdd [-noshell] [-nogecos] [-nopw] [-m arg1 arg2 ...]

DESCRIPTION

     The NIS subsystem allows network management of passwd and group file entries through the functions getpwent(3) and getgrent(3).  NIS also
     provides hooks for other client programs, such as amd(8) and rpc.bootparamd(8), that can use NIS maps.

     Password maps in standard YP are insecure, because the pw_passwd field is accessible by any user. A common solution to this is to generate a
     secure map (using ``makedbm -s'') which can only be accessed by a client bound to a privileged port.  To activate the secure map, see the
     appropriate comment in /var/yp/Makefile.yp.

     The NIS subsystem is conditionally started in /etc/rc.  See the /etc/rc.conf file for configuration variables.

SEE ALSO

     domainname(1), ypcat(1), ypmatch(1), ypwhich(1), ypclnt(3), group(5), hosts_access(5), nsswitch.conf(5), passwd(5), rc.conf(5), rc(8),
     ypbind(8), ypinit(8), yppoll(8), yppush(8), ypserv(8), ypset(8), yptest(8), ypxfr(8)

HISTORY

     The NIS client subsystem was originally written by Theo de Raadt to be compatible with Sun's implementation.  The NIS server suite was origi-
     nally written by Mats O Jansson.

BUGS

     If ypbind(8) cannot find a server, the system behaves the same way as Sun's code: it hangs.

     The 'secure map' feature is not compatible with non-BSD implementations as found e.g. in Solaris.

BSD
								 February 26, 2005							       BSD