Setting up NIS Clients

Setting up the NIS client is probably the easiest part of the NIS process. When you install Red Hat Linux you are given the choice in the authentication section about the authentication method. If you wanted to setup a client to use the nis.bob.org server with the bob.org domainname you would input those choices in the domain and server fields. Everything should work form there.

If your machine is running as an NIS client you will not be able to use the full range of PIDs. There are MINUID and MINGID variables set in the Makefile of the server that define the range of PIDs. The default is set to 500 which will allow the client to use the first 500 PIDs for client use. After the 500 all of the accounts will come from the NIS server. These files kind of get joined in memory.

If you would like to see the NIS password file as it is sent type this command on the client machine:

bash# ypcat passwd