Requires Optional NFS Services Software

NAME

yppasswdd − daemon for modifying Network Information Service passwd database

SYNOPSIS

/usr/etc/rpc.yppasswdd passwd_file [−l log_file] [−m [arg1

DESCRIPTION

The yppasswdd daemon handles password change requests from yppasswd(1). It changes a password entry in passwd_file, which must be in the format defined by passwd(4). The change is made only if the old password provided by yppasswd(1) matches the encrypted password of that entry.

The yppasswdd daemon should be executed only on the master Network Information Service (NIS) server for the passwd database (map).  The yppasswdd daemon is not executed by default, nor can it be started by inetd(1M). To enable automatic startup of yppasswdd at boot time, the NIS_MASTER_SERVER variable should be set to 1 in file /etc/netnfsrc on the master NIS server. 

Options

−l log_file Log diagnostic and error messages to the named log file, log_file. These messages are unavailable if yppasswdd is started without the −l option. 

Information logged to the file includes date and time of the message, the host name, process id and name of the function generating the message, and the message itself.  Note that different services can share a single log file since enough information is included to uniquely identify each message. 

−m [arg1 arg2 ...] After passwd_file is modified, and if using the −m option, yppasswdd executes ypmake(1M) to update the NIS passwd database.  Any arguments following the −m flag are passed to ypmake(1M).

To ensure that the passwd map is rebuilt to contain the new password and all slave NIS servers have their passwd maps properly updated to include the change, always use the −m option to yppasswdd, but do not use the NOPUSH=1 argument to ypmake(1M).

EXAMPLES

Assume the yppasswdd daemon is started on the master NIS server as follows:

/usr/etc/rpc.yppasswdd /etc/yp/src/passwd \
                       −l /usr/adm/yppasswdd.log \
                       −m passwd DIR=/etc/yp/src

This indicates that the ASCII file from which the NIS passwd database is built is /etc/yp/src/passwd.  When this file is updated by a request from yppasswd(1), the NIS passwd database is rebuilt and copied to all slave NIS servers in the master’s NIS domain (see domainname(1)).

Log messages are written to the file /usr/adm/yppasswdd.log. 

WARNINGS

The yppasswdd daemon uses a lock file, /etc/ptmp, to get exclusive access to passwd_file when updating it.  The file /etc/ptmp may persist if passwd_file is being updated and

• The system crashes or

• yppasswdd is killed using SIGKILL (see kill(1) and signal(2)).

File /etc/ptmp must be removed before yppasswdd can function properly again. 

The vipw(1M) command also uses /etc/ptmp when updating /etc/passwd.  As a result, yppasswdd competes with vipw(1M) when it updates passwd_file if passwd_file is /etc/passwd. 

AUTHOR

yppasswdd was developed by Sun Microsystems, Inc. 

FILES

/etc/ptmp lock file used when updating passwd_file

SEE ALSO

domainname(1), yppasswd(1), vipw(1M), ypmake(1M), yppasswd(3N), passwd(4), ypfiles(4). 

INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT

8-bit data, messages

Hewlett-Packard Company  —  HP-UX Release 8.05: June 1991