UNIX for Advanced & Expert Users

Hi

I want to know the maximum length of user name under NIS? I tried googling but it didnt help . If there is any command to find out this please let me know. I know on unix user name should be 8 characters long but just i want to know if i can have 9 letter user under mapped under NIS.

I do not believe there is a limit (well.. there probably is one, duh... but it's not "9"). But NIS is just a table pusher. The problem isn't NIS per se... it's what you do with the information.

So in a mixed heterogeneous network of hosts, *ix, old and new, you need to limit the username length to 8. That's just the way it is. Passwords are limited 8 as well and the hash for portability has to be DES.

Now... if this is an ALL Linux network (for example), you don't have to play by lowest common denominator rules.... you can loosen things up a lot and use other hash types, etc (even push a shadow-like map with added security).