rpc.passw(1M)

NAME
     rpc.passwd - server for modifying NIS password file

SYNOPSIS
     /usr/etc/rpc.passwd -D directory [ -nogecos ] [ -noshell ]
         [ -nopw ] [ -m arg1 arg2 ... ]
     /usr/etc/rpc.passwd passwordfile [ -m arg1 arg2 ... ]

DESCRIPTION
     rpc.passwd is a server that handles password change requests from
     yppasswd(1).  It changes a password entry in the passwd file or if
     present, the shadow file. These files provide the basis for the
     passwd.byname and passwd.byuid maps.  Entries in the passwd or shadow
     files are only changed if the password  presented  by  yppasswd(1)
     matches the encrypted password of the  entry.

     If the -D option is given the passwd or shadow files are located under
     the directory path specified with -D. The default directory for the
     passwd or shadow files is /etc.

     To specify an alternate directory to be used with the -D option, specify
     the directory with the PWDIR variable in /etc/config/ypmaster.options
     substituting the new directory for directory:

          PWDIR=directory


     If the -m option is given, ypmake(1M) is performed in /var/yp after the
     passwd or shadow files are modified. Any arguments following the -m flag
     are passed to ypmake.

     If the -noshell, -nogecos or -nopw options are given, these fields  may
     not  be  changed  remotely using ypchpass(1).

     This server should be run on the host serving as the network information
     service (NIS) master.  It is started from the /etc/init.d/network startup
     script if the ypmaster configuration flag is set on (see network(1M)).

     The second of the listed syntaxes is provided only for backward
     compatibility. If the second syntax is used the passwordfile is the full
     pathname of the password file. If a shadow file is found in the  same
     directory as passwordfile the shadow file is used as described above and
     the actual password changes will be made in the shadow file.

     The first and second syntaxes are mutually  exclusive. Specifying the
     full pathname of the passwd file and using the -D option at the same time
     is not allowed.

     NOTE: rpc.passwd was updated to use the -D option and to support shadow
     file updates in IRIX 6.5.14.  Prior to this version the second syntax was
     used. By default, /etc/passwd was used as the NIS passwd file. An
     alternate passwd file could be used by placing the full path of the
     alternate filename in /etc/config/rpc.passwd.options and putting the
     following the following line in /etc/config/ypmaster.options substituting
     the full path of the new filename for file:

          PWFILE=file

     While support for this style of configuration is still provided, it is
     only provided for backward comptability and may be removed in a future
     release. It is recommended that administrators update their rpc.passwd
     configurations to use the -D option (using the PWDIR variable as
     described above) if an alternate passwd file is being used.

     Note also that with the use of the -D option, the literal filenames
     "passwd" and "shadow" are used in the directory specified with the -D
     option. Because the -D option assumes the use of a directory other than
     /etc there is no need for alternate file names such as "passwd.yp".

     For backward compatibility for IRIX versions prior to 6.5.14, if the
     shadow file is used, the shadow.byname map is built along with
     passwd.byname and passwd.byuid. For more information configuration info
     on shadow see man page shadow(4).

FILES
     /etc/passwd
     /etc/shadow
     /etc/config/rpc.passwd.options
     /etc/config/ypmaster.options

SEE ALSO
     network(1M), ypchpass(1), ypmake(1M), yppasswd(1), passwd(4), shadow(4),
     ypfiles(4).