If you later need to modify the map, you can use makedbm to disassemble the map and create a temporary text intermediate file. To disassemble the map and create a temporary file, type the following:
% cd /var/yp % makedbm -u homedomain/mymap > mymap.temp
The resulting temporary file mymap.temp has one entry per line. You can edit this file as needed, using any text editor.
To update the map, give the name of the modified temporary file to makedbm by typing the following:
% makedbm mymap.temp homedomain/mymap % rm mymap.temp
Then propagate the map to the slave servers, by becoming root and typing the following.
# yppush mymap
The preceding paragraphs explained how to use makedbm to create maps. However, almost everything you actually have to do can be done by theypinit command and by using /var/yp/Makefile unless you add non-default maps to the database or change the set of NIS servers after the system is already up and running.
Whether you use the Makefile in /var/yp or some other procedure the goal is the same. A new pair of well-formed dbm files must end up in the maps directory on the master server.