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

Mon Aug 11 09:05:58 UTC 2008
Theo Band <theo.band at greenpeak.com>

Clint Dilks wrote:
>
> Clint Dilks wrote:
>> 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)
>> Hi Theo,
>>
>> As you are talking about the users homes I assume you are providing 
>> this via something like NFS?
The home directories are mounted under /home/<user>. I don't use autofs 
for that since I had problems with that a long time ago. So all 
workstations have a /home mounted with NFS.
>>
>> If so it is your autofs information that controls what home gets 
>> mounted not the passwd information.
I actually have problems that passwords don't get updated. I noticed 
that by changing the home directory in /etc/passwd. When I change that 
from /home/user to /nobackup/home/user it does work with ypcat passwd (I 
see the correct path on the client). When I do cd ~user however, it 
still tries to look in /home/user instead of /nobackup/home/user. I need 
to restart ypserv to get this change to propagate to the workstations. 
That explains why a user could not log on after I reset his password and 
did a "make -C /var/yp".

Theo