updaters File for NIS

Purpose

Updates NIS maps.

Description

The /var/yp/updaters file is a makefile used for updating NIS maps. NIS maps can only be updated in a secure network; that is, one that has a publickey file. Each entry in the file is a make target for a particular NIS map. For example, if there is an NIS map named passwd.byname that can be updated, there should be a make target named passwd.byname in the updaters file with the command to update the file.

The information necessary to make the update is passed to the update command through standard input. All items are followed by a new line except for actual bytes of key and actual bytes of data. The information passed is described below:

• Network name of client wishing to make the update (a string)
• Kind of update (an integer)
• Number of bytes in key (an integer)
• Actual bytes of key
• Number of bytes in data (an integer)
• Actual bytes of data

After getting this information through standard input, the command to update the map determines whether the user is allowed to make the change. If the user is not allowed, the update command exits with the YPERR_ACCESS status. If the user is allowed to make the change, the command should make the change and exit with a status of 0. If any errors exist that may prevent the updaters file from making the change, the command should exit with the status that matches a valid NIS error code described in the rpcsvc/ypclnt.h file.