The nisinit Command

This section describes how to initialize a workstation client using the nisinit command. An easier way to do this is with the nisclient script as described in Solaris Naming Setup and Configuration Guide.

The nisinit command initializes a workstation to be an NIS+ client or server. As with the rpc.nisd command, you don't need any access rights to use the nisinit command, but you should be aware of its prerequisites and related tasks. These are described in Solaris Naming Setup and Configuration Guide.

Initializing a Client

You can initialize a client in three different ways:

• By host name

• By broadcast

• By cold-start file

Each way has different prerequisites and associated tasks. For instance, before you can initialize a client by host name, the client's /etc/hosts file must list the host name you will use and nsswitch.conf file must have files as the first choice on the hosts line. Complete instructions for each method, including prerequisites and associated tasks, are provided in Solaris Naming Setup and Configuration Guide. Following is a summary of the steps that use the nisinit command.

To initialize a client by host name, use the -c and -H options, and include the name of the server from which the client will obtain its cold-start file:

nisinit -c -H hostname

To initialize a client by cold-start file, use the -c and -C options, and provide the name of the cold-start file:

nisinit -c -C filename

To initialize a client by broadcast, use the -c and -B options:

nisinit -c -B

Initializing the Root Master Server

To initialize the root master server, use the nisinit -rcommand:

nisinit -r

You will need the following information

• The superuser password of the workstation that will become the root master server.

• The name of the new root domain. The root domain name must have at least two elements (labels) and end in a dot (for example, something.com.). The last element must be either an Internet organizational name (as shown in Table 13-4), or a two or three character geographic identifier such as .jp. for Japan.