Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!apple!bionet!ig!arizona!ric
From: ric@arizona.edu (Ric Anderson)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next
Subject: Re: Makefile for niload
Summary: be careful with niload passwd
Message-ID: <12072@megaron.arizona.edu>
Date: 25 Jun 89 22:13:19 GMT
References: <800013@mrcnext.cso.uiuc.edu>
Organization: U of Arizona CS Dept, Tucson
Lines: 26

In article <800013@mrcnext.cso.uiuc.edu>, carlson@mrcnext.cso.uiuc.edu writes:
> 
> I find it much easier to edit the text files in /etc, than
> mess around with the NetInfo App, especially since I do much of my
> work remotely (like now).  This requires the frequent use of niload.
> 
<stuff deleted>

I share Brad's feelings on editing the files in /etc.  BUT, be very
careful when you delete items or change existing ones.  Niload 
inclusive OR's each input file with the existing database.  This
means you must use
	niutil -destroy . /user/xxx
to delete user accounts you have removed from /etc/passwd with vipw.
Similarly, you have to use niutil to clean out things in the
machines (niload hosts) database if a host is removed from the net, or
gets a name change.  Ditto groups, fstab,...

Ric

Ric Anderson			Bitnet: Ric@Arizrvax
Member of the Technical Staff	Internet: ric@cs.arizona.edu
University of Arizona           AT&T: (602) 621-4048
Department of Computer Science
Gould-Simpson Room 721
Tucson, Arizona 85721