Package: base-files Version: 3.1.2 Severity: minor *** Please type your report below this line *** Hi
The nsswitch.conf(5) manpage does not explain how to override some fields in /etc/passwd, with the "compat" option. In fact I could not easily find any reference to the "full +/- semantics" mentioned in the page. The patch below may improve the situation. Please consider applying it, or something like it. I would be grateful if you could add a pointer to the documentation for the full +/- semantics. ---------------------------------- snip ---------------------------------------- --- nsswitch.conf.5.orig 2005-10-14 17:44:48.097267000 +1000 +++ nsswitch.conf.5 2005-10-14 18:16:14.582098000 +1000 @@ -207,7 +207,25 @@ (include the specified user from the NIS passwd map), -user or [EMAIL PROTECTED] (exclude the specified user), and + (include every user, except the excluded ones, from the NIS -passwd map). Since most people only put a + at the end of +passwd map). +.LP +The +/- syntax has a nice property: it is possible to selectively +override certain fields in /etc/passwd, while taking the rest of the +information from the NIS passwd map. For example you may have a user +who should get a home directory local to the machine, rather than +an NFS-automounted directory. In such a case you could put the line +.sp +.RS +.nf ++fred:::::/local/fred: +.fi +.RE +.PP +in +.B /etc/passwd, which will allow user 'fred' to login using their +NIS password, but which will set their home directory to /local/fred. +.LP +Since most people only put a + at the end of .B /etc/passwd to include everything from NIS, the switch provides a faster alternative for this case (`passwd: files nis') which doesn't @@ -217,13 +235,14 @@ and .BR /etc/shadow . If this is not sufficient, the NSS `compat' service provides full -+/- semantics. By default, the source is `nis', but this may be ++/- semantics (such as selective replacement of passwd entry elements). +By default, the source is `nis', but this may be overriden by specifying `nisplus' as source for the pseudo-databases .BR passwd_compat, .B group_compat and .BR shadow_compat. -This pseudo-databases are only available in GNU C Library. +These pseudo-databases are only available in the GNU C Library. .SH FILES A service named SERVICE is implemented by a shared object library named .BI libnss_SERVICE.so. X -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- System Information: Debian Release: 3.1 Architecture: i386 (i686) Kernel: Linux 2.6.8-2-686 Locale: LANG=C, LC_CTYPE=C (charmap=ANSI_X3.4-1968) Versions of packages base-files depends on: ii base-passwd 3.5.9 Debian base system master password ii gawk [awk] 1:3.1.4-2 GNU awk, a pattern scanning and pr ii mawk [awk] 1.3.3-11 a pattern scanning and text proces -- no debconf information -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
