NIS server configuration

Server maintains the authoritative centralized copies of system files and their maps in hashed format, ndbm or gdbm.

Both NIS server and client files are contained in NIS package; to install it:

apt-get install nis

Choose a unique name for NIS domain, for example unisys, and store it in /etc/defaultdomain

Modify file /etc/default/nis to enable NIS server:

NISSERVER=master

Specify the location of the password file and enable change of the login shell in /etc/default/nis:

YPPWDDIR=/etc
YPCHANGEOK=chsh

To initialize NIS maps in /var/yp directory, run

/usr/lib/yp/ypinit -m

Modify entry "ALL" in /var/yp/Makefile, specifying only the maps we need to share, for example passwd and group:

ALL =   passwd group
#ALL =  passwd group hosts rpc services netid protocols netgrp

Start NIS server:

/etc/init.d/nis stop
/etc/init.d/nis start

Every time /etc/passwd and/or /etc/group is modified, the change should be updated in the NIS maps as follows:

cd /var/yp; make

Note, for security reasons, the minimum uid and gid included in the NIS maps is defined in the Makefile

MINUID=1000
MINGID=1000

Restrict access to the NIS maps only from specified subnets and/or hosts in /etc/ypserv.securenets

255.0.0.0       127.0.0.0
255.255.255.0   192.168.5.0
255.255.255.255 128.6.238.69