How to Specify a New Password Algorithm for an NIS Domain

When users in an NIS domain change their passwords, the NIS client consults its local algorithms configuration in the /etc/security/policy.conf file. The NIS client system encrypts the password.

Note:

If you are using the account-policy SMF stencil and the config/etc_default_passwd property is enabled, you must change the corresponding SMF property on every system that will use this new algorithm. For examples, see the procedures in Modifying Rights System-Wide As SMF Properties in Securing Users and Processes in Oracle Solaris 11.4. See also the account-policy(8S) man page.

  1. Specify the password encryption algorithm in the /etc/security/policy.conf file on the NIS client.
  2. Copy the modified /etc/security/policy.conf file to every client system in the NIS domain.
  3. To minimize confusion, copy the modified /etc/security/policy.conf file to the NIS root server and to the slave servers.