[CentOS] Need to restart ypserv to update the nis maps

Mon Aug 11 07:45:34 UTC 2008
Clint Dilks <clintd at scms.waikato.ac.nz>

Theo Band wrote:
> Hi
>
> I use NIS om my network (CentOS4.6). When an update on a map occurs 
> (home directory changed in /etc/passwd for instance), I run make -C 
> /var/yp/ and check the result on a client. On the client I use "ypcat 
> passwd" and find indeed that the update has propagated (the clients 
> run ypbind service). On the client I have configured 
> /etc/nsswitch.conf with :
> passwd:     files nis
> shadow:     files nis
> group:      files nis
>
> The problem is however that on the client, if I try to use the new 
> data, it still uses the old one. For instance "cd ~john" still directs 
> me to the old path instead of to the updated path (as correctly 
> reported by "ypcat passwd").
> To solve it I need to restart the ypserv service on the nis server for 
> every change.
>
> Does anyone now what could be the problem or where I should look? 
> Apparently the OS gets password and user info using another way than 
> the ypcat tool.
>
> (ypserv-2.13-18,ypbind-1.17.2-13)
>
> Thanks,
> Theo
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Hi Theo,

As you are talking about the users homes I assume you are providing this 
via something like NFS?

If so it is your autofs information that controls what home gets mounted 
not the passwd information.

You can configure autofs to reference a NIS map.  Normally I would 
expect this to be something like auto_home.  An entry in this file might 
look like
<user>          <server>:<nfs exported dir>:&

And you would have an entry in /etc/auto.master
/home  auto.home

I hope this helps :)