This LPIC-2 practice question tests your understanding of network client management. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
An administrator configures an NIS client by running 'ypbind' and updating /etc/nsswitch.conf to include 'nis' for passwd, shadow, and group. However, 'getent passwd' still shows only local users. Which step is most likely missing?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Restart the ypserv service on the client.
Why wrong: ypserv is the server service, not run on client.
Execute 'yppasswd' to initialize NIS client.
Why wrong: Only changes user password.
Edit /etc/yp.conf to specify the NIS server's domain and address.
ypbind needs this to locate the server.
Run 'make -C /var/yp' on the client.
Why wrong: That rebuilds NIS maps on the server.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Edit /etc/yp.conf to specify the NIS server's domain and address.
The NIS client must know which NIS server to contact for domain information. This is configured in /etc/yp.conf, which specifies the NIS domain name and the server's hostname or IP address. Without this file, ypbind cannot locate a server, so getent falls back to local sources despite nsswitch.conf listing 'nis'.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Restart the ypserv service on the client.
Why it's wrong here
ypserv is the server service, not run on client.
Execute 'yppasswd' to initialize NIS client.
Why it's wrong here
Only changes user password.
Edit /etc/yp.conf to specify the NIS server's domain and address.
Why this is correct
ypbind needs this to locate the server.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Run 'make -C /var/yp' on the client.
Why it's wrong here
That rebuilds NIS maps on the server.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates assume updating nsswitch.conf alone is sufficient, overlooking the mandatory /etc/yp.conf configuration that ypbind requires to discover and bind to an NIS server.
Detailed technical explanation
Under the hood, ypbind uses a broadcast or a configured server list from /etc/yp.conf to bind to an NIS server for a given domain. If /etc/yp.conf is missing or misconfigured, ypbind cannot establish a binding, and the NIS client library (libnss_nis) will fail to query NIS, silently falling back to other sources in nsswitch.conf. In real-world scenarios, administrators often forget to set both the domain name and server address in /etc/yp.conf, leading to intermittent failures that are hard to diagnose.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A practitioner preparing for the LPIC-2 exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
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FAQ
Network Client Management — This question tests Network Client Management — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Edit /etc/yp.conf to specify the NIS server's domain and address. — The NIS client must know which NIS server to contact for domain information. This is configured in /etc/yp.conf, which specifies the NIS domain name and the server's hostname or IP address. Without this file, ypbind cannot locate a server, so getent falls back to local sources despite nsswitch.conf listing 'nis'.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 25, 2026
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