ypbind(8) on Solnix vs Linux and the BSDs
On Solnix, ypbind is the illumos NIS client binder at /usr/lib/netsvc/yp/ypbind, started by SMF as ypbind -broadcast. It is not on PATH. It has only three options (-broadcast, -ypset, -ypsetme), and no FreeBSD-style -S, -s or -m.
The manual pages
- Solnix: ypbind(8) from
pkgs.solnix.illumos-world-man· illumos.org - FreeBSD: ypbind(8) 15.1-RELEASE
- OpenBSD: ypbind(8) 8.0
- NetBSD: ypbind(8) 11.0
What Solnix runs
A default Solnix system runs the illumos ypbind under /usr/lib/netsvc/yp/, not in /usr/bin, /usr/sbin or /sbin. It is started from svc:/network/nis/client:default and managed with svcadm(8) and svcs(1). No other variants are shipped.
Differences
| Compared with | Topic | What differs |
|---|---|---|
| FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD | how the daemon is started | On Solnix, SMF starts ypbind from svc:/network/nis/client:default, by default as ypbind -broadcast. The BSD pages describe plain ypbind invocations and do not mention SMF.Source: Solnix ypbind(8) DESCRIPTION, NOTES; FreeBSD/OpenBSD/NetBSD ypbind(8) SYNOPSIS |
| FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD | command location | The Solnix daemon is /usr/lib/netsvc/yp/ypbind and is not in the usual command directories. The BSD pages give the bare name ypbind and do not state a path.Source: Solnix ypbind(8) SYNOPSIS; FreeBSD/OpenBSD/NetBSD ypbind(8) SYNOPSIS |
| FreeBSD, OpenBSD | -broadcast option | Solnix and NetBSD accept -broadcast. The FreeBSD and OpenBSD synopses do not list it. FreeBSD always starts by broadcasting. OpenBSD broadcasts when no /etc/yp/DOMAINNAME file exists.Source: Solnix ypbind(8) OPTIONS -broadcast; NetBSD ypbind(8) SYNOPSIS; FreeBSD ypbind(8) DESCRIPTION; OpenBSD ypbind(8) DESCRIPTION |
| NetBSD | behaviour without -broadcast | Without -broadcast, Solnix steps through the server list made by ypinit -c. NetBSD uses /var/yp/binding/<domain>.ypservers, and also broadcasts if that file is missing. The Solnix page does not say it falls back to broadcast.Source: Solnix ypbind(8) DESCRIPTION; NetBSD ypbind(8) DESCRIPTION |
| OpenBSD | restricting servers by file | OpenBSD restricts the server search with a list in /etc/yp/DOMAINNAME, one host per line. Solnix uses the list created by ypinit -c and recommends listing servers in /etc/hosts. The Solnix page does not name the list file's path.Source: OpenBSD ypbind(8) DESCRIPTION; Solnix ypbind(8) DESCRIPTION |
| FreeBSD | -S, -s and -m missing | Solnix ypbind has no -S (lock to a domain and up to ten servers), -s (secure mode) or -m (many-cast). FreeBSD documents all three. On Solnix, -ypset and -ypsetme are the only options that control who may change the binding.Source: FreeBSD ypbind(8) -S, -s, -m; Solnix ypbind(8) SYNOPSIS, OPTIONS |
| OpenBSD, NetBSD | -insecure missing | OpenBSD and NetBSD accept -insecure to allow binding to a server on a non-reserved port. Solnix has no such option. FreeBSD has -s instead, which refuses non-privileged-port servers.Source: OpenBSD ypbind(8) -insecure; NetBSD ypbind(8) -insecure; FreeBSD ypbind(8) -s; Solnix ypbind(8) OPTIONS |
| FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD | -ypset and -ypsetme scope | On Solnix, -ypset lets users from any remote machine change the binding, and -ypsetme restricts this to root on the local machine, checked via the loopback transport. By default no one can change it. FreeBSD and NetBSD describe -ypsetme as local host only, not root only.Source: Solnix ypbind(8) -ypset, -ypsetme; FreeBSD ypbind(8) -ypsetme; NetBSD ypbind(8) -ypsetme |
| FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD | binding storage | FreeBSD, OpenBSD and NetBSD document binding files in /var/yp/binding. The Solnix page does not say where ypbind keeps bindings. It describes remembered bindings and ypwhich(1) for querying them.Source: FreeBSD/OpenBSD/NetBSD ypbind(8) DESCRIPTION; Solnix ypbind(8) DESCRIPTION |
| NetBSD | retry timing | NetBSD backs off exponentially to one attempt per hour after 60 seconds of failure. On Solnix, requests for an unbound domain wait until it is bound. The page gives no retry interval. FreeBSD checks every minute. Source: NetBSD ypbind(8) DESCRIPTION; Solnix ypbind(8) DESCRIPTION; FreeBSD ypbind(8) DESCRIPTION |
Standards
- POSIX: ypbind is not a POSIX.1-2024 utility.
Writing portable scripts
- Do not rely on ypbind flags in scripts. Solnix accepts
-broadcast,-ypsetand-ypsetme. FreeBSD, OpenBSD and NetBSD each accept a different set. - Start and stop the daemon through the platform's service tool. On Solnix that is svcadm for svc:/network/nis/client:default.
Every difference here is taken from the manual pages linked above: Solnix's published page, Linux (man-pages and the GNU and util-linux manuals), FreeBSD, OpenBSD and NetBSD. Each row names its source. Where a manual is silent, this page is too. Compiled 2026-10-26. Found a mistake? Mail hackers@lists.solnix.io.