Have managed to successfully combine nfs for mounting user home directories and nis for password authentication, thereby allowing the user to log into any client on the network and have access to their home directory.

However if I want to set a user up locally on a client machine, as root on that machine, then try to log in as that user locally, I can't access their home directory and just get a bash shell for them - but in text mode only, can't log in at all using the GUI.

I thought the /etc/nsswitch.conf file accesses local files first before looking at nis for authentication, and if I append the local user after the +:::::: in the local machines /etc/password file that they can then be authorised locally????

Why does nis/nfs completely take over, and what can I do to work around this? Any enlightenment would be appreciated

The nsswitch.conf file controls the order that things are resolved. Check your file and make sure that files comes before nis in the entry for password.

e.g.

passwd: files nis

This looks at local files before it looks at the nis system

Hope this helps

Paul

The default is that root cannot access NFS served disks on a client. This is for security reasons. If your local user's home dir is mounted via NFS, it will most likely not be available to root. It should be adjustable by editing the exports definition file and adding in the correct permissions. (man exports)

hello ,
could send some liinks on HOWTOs for setting up NIS & NFS ( essentially , I'm trying to do what u have done) ... for RH 8.0 ,, I;m now able to configure NIS ... plz help