Understanding NIS
As you configure your network, you will find that some of your configuration files are not host specific, but they require frequent updating. /etc/passwd and /etc/group are two that come to mind. NIS enables you to set up a master server where these files are stored and then configure each machine on your network as clients to this server. Whenever a client needs to fetch an entry from the /etc/passwd file, it consults the NIS server instead.
Two prerequisites must be met in order for a file to be sharable via NIS. First, the file must be tabular with at least one entry that is unique across the entire file. In the /etc/passwd file, this entry is either the login or UID. Second, the file in its raw form must be a straight text ...
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