YPPASSWD(1)

NAME
yppasswd - change your network password in the NIS database

SYNOPSIS
yppasswd [ username ]

ypchfn [ username ]

ypchsh [ username ]

AVAILABILITY

This command is available with the Networking software installation option. Refer to for information on how to install optional software.

DESCRIPTION

yppasswd changes (or installs) the network password associated with the user username (your own name by default) in the Network Information Service (NIS) database. The NIS password may be different from the local one on your own machine. See passwd(1).

ypchfn changes the full name associated with username in the NIS database.

ypchsh changes the login shell associated with username in the NIS database.

yppasswd prompts for the old NIS password, and then for the new one. You must type in the old password correctly for the change to take effect. The new password must be typed twice, to forestall mistakes.

New passwords must be at least four characters long, if they use a sufficiently rich alphabet, and at least six characters long if monocase. These rules are relaxed if you are insistent enough. Only the owner of the name or the super-user may change a password; in either case you must prove you know the old password.

The NIS password daemon, yppasswdd(8C) must be running on your NIS server in order for the new password to take effect.

SEE ALSO
passwd(1), ypfiles(5), yppasswdd(8C)

BUGS

The update protocol passes all the information to the server in one RPC call, without ever looking at it. Thus if you type in your old password incorrectly, you will not be notified until after you have entered your new password.

NOTES

The Network Information Service (NIS) was formerly known as Sun Yellow Pages (YP). The functionality of the two remains the same; only the name has changed. The name Yellow Pages is a registered trademark in the United Kingdom of British Telecommunications plc, and may not be used without permission.