ypinit(1M)ypinit(1M)NAMEypinit - build and install Network Information Service databases
SYNOPSIS
NIS_domain]
NIS_server_name NIS_domain]
Remarks
The Network Information Service (NIS) was formerly known as Yellow
Pages (YP). Although the name has changed, the functionality of the
service remains the same.
DESCRIPTION
is a shell script that creates Network Information Service (NIS) data‐
bases on either a master or slave NIS server. asks a few self-explana‐
tory questions, and reports success or failure to the terminal. For an
overview of Network Information Service, see ypfiles(4) and ypserv(1M).
Options
recognizes the following options and command-line arguments:
Create the local host as the master server to all maps (data‐
bases)
provided in the NIS domain (see domain‐
name(1)). All maps are built from scratch,
either from information provided to at run-
time, or from ASCII files in All such files
should be complete and unabbreviated, unlike
how they may exist on a NIS client machine
(see passwd(4) for examples of abbreviated
files).
See ypmake(1M) for more information on how
NIS databases are built on the master
server. Note that uses the option when
invoking so newly formed maps are not imme‐
diately copied to slave servers (see
ypmake(1M)).
Create NIS databases on a slave server by copying
the databases from an existing NIS server
that serves the NIS domain.
The NIS_server_name argument should be the
host name of either the master server for
all the maps or a server on which the maps
are current and stable.
Configures the local host as a NIS client, so that the NIS
client
will attempt to bind to a particular NIS
server. Invocation of with a option prompts
the user to construct a list of NIS servers,
in the order of preference, to which the
client will try to bind. Each of these NIS
servers must be listed in the file along
with its IP Address. This list of NIS
servers is stored in the file This file is
used by when invoked without the option.
(See ypbind(1M) in ypserv(1M)).
If it is so desired that it is not necessary
for a NIS client to bind to a NIS server in
a particular list, the installation mecha‐
nism could be ignored.
Causes to construct maps for the specified
NIS_domain. defaults to the NIS domain
shown by the command (see domainname(1).
RETURN VALUE
returns exit code 0 if no errors occur; otherwise, it returns exit code
1.
AUTHOR
was developed by Sun Microsystems, Inc.
FILESSEE ALSOdomainname(1), makedbm(1M), ypmake(1M), yppush(1M), ypserv(1M),
ypxfr(1M), ypxfrd(1M), group(4), hosts(4), netgroup(4), networks(4),
passwd(4), protocols(4), publickey(4), rpc(4), services(4), ypfiles(4).
ypinit(1M)