$ Linux Command

System

ypdomainname

Print or set the NIS/YP domain name.

nisypdomainnetworkname

Additional Notes

ypdomainname prints or sets the system's NIS (Network Information Service, formerly Yellow Pages) domain name. It is essentially the same as the domainname command and reads/writes the same kernel parameter. The NIS domain name is used to identify which NIS server and maps a system belongs to.

NIS is a legacy directory service for sharing system configuration (users, groups, hosts, etc.) across a network. It has largely been replaced by LDAP and Active Directory. The ypdomainname command is part of the nis or yp-tools package.

Syntax

ypdomainname [nis_domain]

Parameters

  • nis_domain: The NIS domain name to set. Without an argument, prints the current domain name.

Examples

ypdomainname

Print the current NIS domain name.

sudo ypdomainname mydomain

Set the NIS domain name to mydomain.

Practical Notes

  • The NIS domain name is not the same as the DNS domain name (returned by dnsdomainname or hostname -d).
  • Setting the NIS domain name usually requires root privileges.
  • The domain name is stored in the kernel and can also be set via domainname or nisdomainname.
  • NIS is considered insecure and its use is discouraged on modern networks.
  • To check whether NIS is configured, look for ypbind or domainname in process listings.