xref: /netbsd-src/external/bsd/libbind/dist/doc/irs.conf.cat5 (revision 5bbd2a12505d72a8177929a37b5cee489d0a1cfd)
1IRS.CONF(5)               FreeBSD File Formats Manual              IRS.CONF(5)
2
3NNAAMMEE
4     iirrss..ccoonnff -- Information Retrieval System configuration file
5
6SSYYNNOOPPSSIISS
7     iirrss..ccoonnff
8
9DDEESSCCRRIIPPTTIIOONN
10     The irs(3) functions are a set of routines in the C library which provide
11     access to various system maps.  The maps that irs currently controls are
12     the following: passwd, group, services, protocols, hosts, networks and
13     netgroup.  When a program first calls a function that accesses one of
14     these maps, the irs configuration file is read, and the source of each
15     map is determined for the life of the process.
16
17     If this file does not exist, the irs routines default to using local
18     sources for all information, with the exception of the host and networks
19     maps, which use the Domain Name System (DNS).
20
21     Each record in the file consists of one line.  A record consists of a
22     map-name, an access-method and possibly a (comma delimited) set of
23     options, separated by tabs or spaces.  Blank lines, and text between a #
24     and a newline are ignored.
25
26     Available maps:
27
28           Map name        Information in map
29           =========       ==================================
30           passwd          User authentication information
31           group           User group membership information
32           services        Network services directory
33           protocols       Network protocols directory
34           hosts           Network hosts directory
35           networks        Network "network names" directory
36           netgroup        Network "host groups" directory
37
38     Available access methods:
39
40           Access method   Description
41           =============   =================================================
42           local           Use a local file, usually in /etc
43           dns             Use the domain name service (includes hesiod)
44           nis             Use the Sun-compatible Network Information Service
45           irp             Use the IRP daemon on the localhost.
46
47     Available options:
48
49           Option          Description
50           ========        ================================================
51           continue        don't stop searching if you can't find something
52           merge           don't stop searching if you CAN find something
53
54     The continue option creates ``union namespaces'' whereby subsequent
55     access methods of the same map type can be tried if a name cannot be
56     found using earlier access methods.  This can be quite confusing in the
57     case of host names, since the name to address and address to name map-
58     pings can be visibly asymmetric even though the data used by any given
59     access method is entirely consistent.  This behavior is, therefore, not
60     the default.
61
62     The merge option only affects lookups in the groups map.  If set, subse-
63     quent access methods will be tried in order to cause local users to
64     appear in NIS (or other remote) groups in addition to the local groups.
65
66EEXXAAMMPPLLEE
67           # Get password entries from local file, or failing that, NIS
68           passwd          local   continue
69           passwd          nis
70
71           # Build group membership from both local file, and NIS.
72           group           local   continue,merge
73           group           nis
74
75           # Services comes from just the local file.
76           services        local
77
78           protocols       local
79
80           # Hosts comes first from DNS, failing that, the local file
81           hosts           dns     continue
82           hosts           local
83
84           # Networks comes first from the local file, and failing
85           # that the, irp daemon
86           networks        local   continue
87           networks        irp
88
89           netgroup        local
90
91NNOOTTEESS
92     If a local user needs to be in the local host's ``wheel'' group but not
93     in every host's ``wheel'' group, put them in the local host's _/_e_t_c_/_g_r_o_u_p
94     ``wheel'' entry and set up the ``groups'' portion of your _/_e_t_c_/_i_r_s_._c_o_n_f
95     file as:
96
97           group   local   continue,merge
98           group   nis
99
100     NIS takes a long time to time out.  Especially for hosts if you use the
101     --dd option to your server's ``ypserv'' daemon.
102
103     It is important that the _i_r_s_._c_o_n_f file contain an entry for each map.  If
104     a map is not mentioned in the _i_r_s_._c_o_n_f file, all queries to that map will
105     fail.
106
107     The classic NIS mechanism for specifying union namespaces is to add an
108     entry to a local map file whose name is ``+''.  In IRS, this is done via
109     ``continue'' and/or ``merge'' map options.  While this results in a small
110     incompatibility when local map files are imported from non-IRS systems to
111     IRS systems, there are compensating advantages in security and configura-
112     bility.
113
114FFIILLEESS
115     /etc/irs.conf      The file iirrss..ccoonnff resides in _/_e_t_c.
116
117SSEEEE AALLSSOO
118     groups(5), hosts(5), netgroup(5), networks(5), passwd(5), protocols(5),
119     services(5)
120
121BIND 8.1                       November 16, 1997                      BIND 8.1
122