NAME    [Toc]    [Back]

     ypbind - create and maintain a binding to a YP server

SYNOPSIS    [Toc]    [Back]

     ypbind [-ypset] [-ypsetme] [-insecure]

DESCRIPTION    [Toc]    [Back]

     ypbind finds the server  for  a  particular  YP  domain  and
stores information
     about  it  in  a ``binding file''.  This binding information
includes the IP
     address of the server associated with that particular domain
and which
     port the server is using.  This information is stored in the
directory
     /var/yp/binding  in  a  file  named  with   the   convention
DOMAINNAME.version.
     (The YP system only supplies information on version 2.)

     When ypbind starts the primary domain (or gets the first request for a
     new domain), it checks if a file for the domain in  question
exists in the
     directory  /etc/yp/  (i.e.,  /etc/yp/DOMAINNAME).  If such a
file exists, it
     will list the hosts which ypbind should restrict its  server
search to.
     Otherwise,  ypbind assumes it will need to use broadcasts to
find a valid
     server.  Using  either  of  these  techniques,  ypbind  will
search for a server
  willing  to  serve maps for the client's domain.  Once a
binding is established,
 ypbind maintains  this  binding  by  periodically
communicating
     with  the  server  to  which it is bound.  If the binding is
somehow lost,
     e.g by server reboot, ypbind marks the domain as unbound and
attempts to
     re-establish  the  binding.   When the binding is once again
successful,
     ypbind marks the domain as bound and  resumes  its  periodic
check.

     The options are as follows:

     -ypset  ypset(8) may be used to change the server to which a
domain is
             bound.

     -ypsetme
             ypset(8) may be  used  only  from  this  machine  to
change the server
             to which a domain is bound.

     -insecure
             permit  binding  to  a  ypserv(8)  on a non-reserved
port.  This is
             needed if receiving maps from SunOS 3.x or Ultrix.

     The -ypset and -ypsetme options are dangerous and should  be
avoided.  For
     greatest   security,   the   use   of   a   server  list  in
/etc/yp/DOMAINNAME is recommended.
  The file should contain a list of valid YP server
hostnames,
     with one hostname per line.  The comment character is #.

     If the directory /var/yp/binding exists, YP is started automatically at
     boot time by /etc/rc.

FILES    [Toc]    [Back]

     /var/yp/binding/DOMAINNAME.version - binding  file  for  domainname
     /etc/yp/DOMAINNNAME - server list for this particular domain

SEE ALSO    [Toc]    [Back]

     domainname(1), ypcat(1), ypmatch(1), ypwhich(1), yp(8),  yppoll(8),
     ypserv(8), ypset(8)

     Once  ypbind  is  running, the following pages should be reviewed in order
     to see how to enable YP support for each  of  the  following
maps:
     ethers(5),  group(5),  hosts(5), networks(5), passwd(5), resolv.conf(5)

AUTHORS    [Toc]    [Back]

     Theo de Raadt

OpenBSD     3.6                        October      25,      1994