Subject: Re: Q: HOWTO use 'yp'
To: Andreas Brusinsky <brusinsk@ibdr.inf.tu-dresden.de>
From: David Brownlee <abs@anim.dreamworks.com>
List: netbsd-help
Date: 05/23/1997 11:41:08
On Fri, 23 May 1997, Andreas Brusinsky wrote:

> I belive that 'yp' is used to manage consistency of user passwords
> in a distributed unix environment, i.e. if I change my password
> on any machine belonging to this 'yp'-domain it is known in the
> whole domain.
> 
	Correct - it can also manage group, mail aliases and other files.

> So of what use is 'yp' on a stand-allone system?

	None, other than learning how to setup yp.

> What other features/informations provides yp?
> 
	Sharing other file, such as group, aliases, hosts, etc.

> And how do I setup yp on a stand/alone system (maybe I add a
> diskless workstation and then a running yp would be O.K.)?
> 
	That would be reasonable.

> My first attempt was that I just added "MYNAME" to a file
> called "MYDOMAIN".ypservers in /var/yp/bindings.
> 
> But this probably just specifies a name of an ypserver and
> does not setup the server.
> 
> Furthermore, can I build my own domains with yp or do domains
> have to be specified somwhere outside of my local system?
> (My systems are living in a university network with its
>  domainnamesB ..)

	You can 'share' the yp information from an existing server, or
	createe your own. You need to run ypserv - the ypserv mapage
	may contain more information (I'm not near a NetBSD system right
	now) 


                David/abs               abs@anim.dreamworks.com

.---- I've been too drunk to love ----.-- I've been too drunk to remember -.
|          too drunk to care          |    the hell of the night before    |
|  looked like death, felt like hell  |   I've been drinking myself blind  |
`------ been the worse for wear ------'-- and still I'll drink some more --'