# MacOS X as a NIS (YP) client with NFS mounted /home file system



## dreael (Jul 31, 2002)

Dear MacOS X users

I recently have become a proud owner of Apple's new "table lamp". ;-)

I'm using MacOS X in a heterogenous environment where a SuSE Linux 8.0 Professional box (standard i386 box) runs as my file server for all systems. I have stored all my productive data on it and there's also running a SCSI streamer tape backup every night. In addition this file server acts as my NIS master server for all other kind of UNIX and Linux as well as a Samba primary domain controller for all Windows systems.

I'd like to configure my iMac as a NIS client in such a way that I can graphically login with my NIS user account or remotely SSH login with my NIS account. In addition, I wish to mount both my exported file systems /home and /archive by NFS on boot time and configure the standard storage directory in all MacOS applications to the NFS home drive rather than the local file system.

Is this possible? Should this done on the command line level (editing some configuration files) or has Apple spent a special control panel for this task?

Any help are appreciated.


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## hgreenfi (Jul 31, 2002)

I recently set up a basic nfs export from my RH7.2 server onto my os x box.  I found the information at http://www.sfu.ca/~hjohnson.osxnisnfs.html to be helpful.  I followed the instructions for setting up nfs and found that they worked, but I can't speak for the NIS/YP stuff.

Hope this helps


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## lethe (Jul 31, 2002)

setting the machine to use NetInfo for logins requires you to change the lookup order of NetInfo.  you can either do this by adding some files to /etc or by adding some directories to the NetInfo directory structure.  read the lookupd man pages for more details.  ask, if you need more specific instructions.  also mounts are controlled by NetInfo as well, so you can accomplish all your needs this way.  this can all be done even without the command line, since apple provided a GUI NetInfo manager, found in the /Applications/Utilities directory.


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## wiz (Jul 31, 2002)

ok some book of mine says this (i summarized it)


1. Back-up ur NetInfo database (they always say that)

2. note down the mount point and the location of the remote folder you want to mount

3. create  a *plain text* fil, something like this:

{
    "opts" = ( "w" );
    "dir" = ( "/<mountpoint>/" );
    "name = ( "<remote_host>:<remote_dir_location>");
    "type" = ( "bfs" );
}

<mountpoint> is the location you want tp mount ther remote filesystem on ur local HD

<remote_host> is the name of the remote computer (it could be an ip address too)

<remote_dir_location> is the location of that folder on the remore host

oh the (opts = 'w') thing is actually mounting the remote filesystem as write only you can use (  rw   r   w )

4. now at the command prompt...

    nituil -create . /mounts/temp1
    niload -r /mounts/temp1 . < mnt.txt

    (assuming that u saved the above text file as mnt.txt

5. the open the NetInfo manageer and check in the  /mounts/<remote_dir_location>

if everything is the same as in the text file GREAT

6. reboot ur machine

7. u can check if the remote file system is mounted by  typing
     mount   
at the command prompt

yep thats all...

wow thats a lot .. i'm still learining


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## wiz (Jul 31, 2002)

> [
> 3. create  a *plain text* fil, something like this:



not fil   but file 




> {
> "opts" = ( "w" );
> "dir" = ( "/<mountpoint>/" );
> "name = ( "<remote_host>:<remote_dir_location>");
> ...



oh "type" = ( "nfs" );        [not bfs]

another typo


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## hydo (Aug 6, 2002)

> _Originally posted by dreael _
> *snip*
> *I'd like to configure my iMac as a NIS client
> **snip*



It looks like you have the NFS thing sewn up.  Here's a pointer to doing the NIS config:  http://bresink.de/osx/nis.html


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## bwanabob (Aug 6, 2002)

I've set up NIS and remotely mounted homedirs several times.

The information above is good stuff. The bresink.de site is really good for the NIS information! But there are some gotchas with NIS.

(I have yet to test these problems with 10.2, but I think the problems would still apply, as they are problems from the server side)

On the Mac side, only pull NIS maps that you intend to use. Also (as dumb as this sounds) only pull maps that the server offers. Under IRIX (Silicon Graphics) machines, you can control which maps get exported by editing a makefile. (Linux should be similar). If you export maps "passwd", "group", "hosts" and your Mac is looking for "passwd", "group", "hosts" and "netgroup".. the Mac will choke, and possibly not boot properly.

So, make sure that if you need a map on your mac, that the NIS server actually serves it.


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## cctryan (Oct 24, 2002)

What is the name of the makefile you need to
edit for IRIX machines. I am trying to get a
eMac running OS 10.1.5 to be a nis client for my server with is running IRIX 6.5.15. However, I can not get the eMac to bind to it.


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## resglowing (Oct 24, 2002)

Could you be more specific about the issue your having?


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## bibbouk (Oct 25, 2002)

;-)


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## bwanabob (Nov 14, 2002)

> _Originally posted by cctryan _
> *What is the name of the makefile you need to
> edit for IRIX machines. I am trying to get a
> eMac running OS 10.1.5 to be a nis client for my server with is running IRIX 6.5.15. However, I can not get the eMac to bind to it. *



You want to edit the ypmake make file. (I think the ypmake is a script.)

Dig around there.

bob..


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