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System Administration Commandsnisclient(1M)


NAME

 nisclient - initialize NIS+ credentials for NIS+ principals

SYNOPSIS

 /usr/lib/nis/nisclient -c [-x] [-o] [-v] [-l <network_password>] [-d <NIS+_domain>] client_name ...
 /usr/lib/nis/nisclient -i [-x] [-v] -h <NIS+_server_host> [-a <NIS+_server_addr>] [-k <key_domain>] [-d <NIS+_domain>] [ -S 0 | 2]
 /usr/lib/nis/nisclient -u [-x] [-v]
 /usr/lib/nis/nisclient -r [-x]

DESCRIPTION

 

The nisclient shell script can be used to:

  • create NIS+ credentials for hosts and users
  • initialize NIS+ hosts and users
  • restore the network service environment

NIS+ credentials are used to provide authentication information of NIS+ clients to NIS+ service.

Use the first synopsis (-c option) to create individual NIS+ credentials for hosts or users. You must be logged in as a NIS+ principal in the domain for which you are creating the new credentials. You must also have write permission to the local "cred" table. The client_name argument accepts any valid host or user name in the NIS+ domain (for example, the client_name must exist in the hosts or passwd table). nisclient verifies each client_name against both the host and passwd tables, then adds the proper NIS+ credentials for hosts or users. Note that if you are creating NIS+ credentials outside of your local domain, the host or user must exist in the host or passwd tables in both the local and remote domains.

By default, nisclient will not overwrite existing entries in the credential table for the hosts and users specified. To overwrite, use the -o option. After the credentials have been created, nisclient will print the command that must be executed on the client machine to initialize the host or the user. The -c option requires a network password for the client which is used to encrypt the secret key for the client. You can either specify it on the command line with the -l option or the script will prompt you for it. You can change this network password later with passwd(1) or chkey(1).

nisclient -c is not intended to be used to create NIS+ credentials for all users and hosts which are defined in the passwd and hosts tables. To define credentials for all users and hosts, use nispopulate(1M).

Use the second synopsis (-i option) to initialize a NIS+ client machine. The -i option can be used to convert machines to use NIS+ or to change the machine's domainname. You must be logged in as super-user on the machine that is to become a NIS+ client. Your administrator must have already created the NIS+ credential for this host by using nisclient -c or nispopulate -C. You will need the network password your administrator created. nisclient will prompt you for the network password to decrypt your secret key and then for this machine's root login password to generate a new set of secret/public keys. If the NIS+ credential was created by your administrator using nisclient -c, then you can simply use the initialization command that was printed by the nisclient script to initialize this host instead of typing it manually.

To initialize an unauthenticated NIS+ client machine, use the -i option with -S 0. With these options, the nisclient -i option will not ask for any passwords.

During the client initialization process, files that are being modified are backed up as files.no_nisplus. The files that are usually modified during a client initialization are: /etc/defaultdomain, /etc/nsswitch.conf, /etc/inet/hosts, and, if it exists, /var/nis/NIS_COLD_START. Notice that a file will not be saved if a backup file already exists.

The -i option does not set up a NIS+ client to resolve hostnames using DNS. Please refer to the DNS documentation for information on setting up DNS. (See resolv.conf(4)).

It is not necessary to initialize either NIS+ root master servers or machines that were installed as NIS+ clients using suninstall(1M).

Use the third synopsis (-u option) to initialize a NIS+ user. You must be logged in as the user on a NIS+ client machine in the domain where your NIS+ credentials have been created. Your administrator should have already created the NIS+ credential for your username using nisclient -c or nispopulate(1M). You will need the network password your administrator used to create the NIS+ credential for your username. nisclient will prompt you for this network password to decrypt your secret key and then for your login password to generate a new set of secret/public keys.

Use the fourth synopsis (-r option) to restore the network service environment to whatever you were using before nisclient -i was executed. You must be logged in as super-user on the machine that is to be restored. The restore will only work if the machine was initialized with nisclient -i because it uses the backup files created by the -i option.

Reboot the machine after initializing a machine or restoring the network service.

OPTIONS

 

The following options are supported:

-a <NIS+_server_addr>
Specifies the IP address for the NIS+ server. This option is used only with the -i option.
-c
Adds DES credentials for NIS+ principals.
-d <NIS+_domain>
Specifies the NIS+ domain where the credential should be created when used in conjunction with the -c option. It specifies the name for the new NIS+ domain when used in conjunction with the -i option. The default is your current domainname.
-h <NIS+_server_host>
Specifies the NIS+ server's hostname. This option is used only with the -i option.
-i
Initializes a NIS+ client machine.
-l <network_password>
Specifies the network password for the clients. This option is used only with the -c option. If this option is not specified, the script will prompt you for the network password.
-k <key_domain>
This option specifies the domain where root's credentials are stored. If a domain is not specified, then the system default domain is assumed.
-o
Overwrites existing credential entries. The default is not to overwrite. This is used only with the -c option.
-r
Restores the network service environment.
-S 0|2
Specifies the authentication level for the NIS+ client. Level 0 is for unauthenticated clients and level 2 is for authenticated (DES) clients. The default is to set up with level 2 authentication. This is used only with the -i option. nisclient always uses level 2 authentication (DES) for both -c and -u options. There is no need to run nisclient with -u and -c for level 0 authentication. To configure authentication mechanisms other than DES at security level 2, use nisauthconf(1M) before running nisclient.
-u
Initializes a NIS+ user.
-v
Runs the script in verbose mode.
-x
Turns the "echo" mode on. The script just prints the commands that it would have executed. Notice that the commands are not actually executed. The default is off.

EXAMPLES

 Example 1. Adding the DES Credential in the Local Domain
 

To add the DES credential for host sunws and user fred in the local domain:
 
example% /usr/lib/nis/nisclient -c sunws fred

Example 2. Adding the DES Credential in a Specified Domain
 

To add the DES credential for host sunws and user fred in domain xyz.sun.com.:

 
example% /usr/lib/nis/nisclient -c -d xyz.sun.com. sunws fred
Example 3. Initializing the Host in a Specific Domain
 

To initialize host sunws as a NIS+ client in domain xyz.sun.com. where nisplus_server is a server for the domain xyz.sun.com.:

 
example# /usr/lib/nis/nisclient -i -h nisplus_server -d xyz.sun.com

The script will prompt you for the IP address of nisplus_server if the server is not found in the /etc/hosts file. The -d option is needed only if your current domain name is different from the new domain name.

Example 4. Initializing the Host as an Unauthenticated Client in a Specific Domain
 

To initialize host sunws as an unauthenticated NIS+ client in domain xyz.sun.com. where nisplus_server is a server for the domain xyz.sun.com:

 
example# /usr/lib/nis/nisclient -i -S 0 \ 
   -h nisplus_server -d xyz.sun.com. -a 129.140.44.1
Example 5. Initializing the User as a NIS+ principal
 

To initialize user fred as a NIS+ principal, log in as user fred on a NIS+ client machine.

 
example% /usr/lib/nis/nisclient -u

FILES

 
/var/nis/NIS_COLD_START
This file contains a list of servers, their transport addresses, and their Secure RPC public keys that serve the machines default domain.
/etc/defaultdomain
The system default domainname.
/etc/nsswitch.conf
Configuration file for the name-service switch.
/etc/inet/hosts
Local host name database.

ATTRIBUTES

 

See attributes(5) for descriptions of the following attributes:

ATTRIBUTE TYPEATTRIBUTE VALUE
AvailabilitySUNWnisu

SEE ALSO

 

chkey(1), keylogin(1), nis+(1), passwd(1), keyserv(1M), nisaddcred(1M), nisauthconf(1M), nisinit(1M), nispopulate(1M), suninstall(1M), nsswitch.conf(4), resolv.conf(4), attributes(5)

NOTES

 

NIS+ might not be supported in future releases of the Solaris Operating Environment. Tools to aid the migration from NIS+ to LDAP are available in the Solaris 9 operating environment. For more information, visit http://www.sun.com/directory/nisplus/transition.html.


SunOS 5.9Go To TopLast Changed 12 Dec 2001

 
      
      
Copyright 2002 Sun Microsystems, Inc. All rights reserved. Use is subject to license terms.