Assuming root's password is in the local passwd db and not the NIS table,
try:

  # passwd -l root

Which should ignore NIS and only update the local passwd database.

--
  /\---/\  Eric J Fox
 /  o o  \ http://fox.phoenix.az.us
 \.\   /./ ---------------------------
    \@/    "Of course it runs NetBSD."



On Wed, 11 Dec 2002, Martti Kuparinen wrote:

> Hi!
>
> I can't change the NIS password as root on the NIS master server
> because it asks me the old password (which I can't remember).
> Any ideas what's wrong?
>
> yppasswdd_mkpw.c:
>      $NetBSD: yppasswdd_mkpw.c,v 1.9.2.1 2002/11/24 16:07:29 tron Exp $
>      $NetBSD: yppasswdd_mkpw.c,v 1.9.2.1 2002/11/24 16:07:29 tron Exp $
>
> ROOT sl:~> id
> uid=0(root) gid=0(wheel) groups=0(wheel),2(kmem),3(sys),4(tty),5(operator),20(staff),31(guest)
>
> ROOT sl:~> passwd martti
> Changing YP password for martti.
> Old password:
>
> ROOT sl:~> ps axw
> ...
>   102 ?? Ss    0:00.29 /usr/sbin/syslogd -s
>   117 ?? Ss    0:00.41 /usr/sbin/rpcbind -l
>   121 ?? Ss    0:56.15 /usr/sbin/ypserv -d
>   125 ?? Ss    0:17.95 /usr/sbin/ypbind
>   129 ?? Ss    0:00.01 /usr/sbin/rpc.yppasswdd -d /var/yp
>
>
> Martti
>
> ---
> Martti Kuparinen <martti.kuparinen@iki.fi>      NetBSD - No media hype
> http://www.iki.fi/kuparine/                     http://www.netbsd.org/
>
>