niload(8) niload(8)
NAME
niload - load text or flat-file-format data into NetInfo
SYNOPSIS
niload [ -v ] [ -d ] [ -m ] [ -p ] [ -t ] { -r directory | format }
domain
DESCRIPTION
niload loads information from standard input into the given NetInfo
domain. If format is specified, the input is interpreted according to
the flat-file file format of the same name. The allowed values for
format are aliases, bootparams, bootptab, fstab, group, hosts, net-
works, passwd, printcap, protocols, rpc, and services.
If -r directory is specified instead of a flat-file file format, the
input is interpreted as "raw" NetInfo data, as generated by nidump -r,
and loaded into directory. Note that this operation will delete and
replace the entire NetInfo subtree at the specified directory. Any
existing records in this subtree will be lost.
niload overwrites entries in the existing directory with those given in
the input. Entries that are in the directory aren't deleted if they
don't exist in the input, unless the -d option is specified. niload
must be run as superuser on the master NetInfo server for the given
domain, unless one specifies the -p option, which allows one to run
from anywhere in the network.
OPTIONS
-v Verbose. Prints details of records as they are updated (flat-
file formats only).
-d Delete entries which are in the directory, but not in the input.
-m Merge properties and values. Existing properties will be pre-
served in the database if they are not present in the input.
For example, if a user record has a "picture" property, loading
a passwd-format record for this user will preserve the property.
Property values are also merged.
-p Prompt for the root password of the given domain so that one can
run from other locations in the network besides the master.
-t Interpret the domain as a tagged domain. For example, "trot-
ter/network" refers to the database tagged "network" on the
machine "trotter". The machine name can be an actual name or an
IP address.
-r Load entries in "raw" format, as generated by nidump -r. The
first argument should be the path of a NetInfo directory into
which the information is loaded. Since the input often speci-
fies properties (including "name") at its topmost level, the
directory you specify may be renamed as a result of this opera-
tion. If the directory you specify does not exist, it will be
created.
SYSTEM USAGE
Most processes on Mac OS X access the information from the files in
/etc and from NetInfo indirectly through the system library and the
lookupd daemon. In some cases the files in /etc are consulted before
NetInfo, making it unnecessary to copy information from these files
into NetInfo. The files /etc/hosts, /etc/networks, /etc/services,
/etc/protocols, and /etc/rpcs are consulted before NetInfo.
Additionally, the /etc/exports file is the primary source for NFS file
share configuration. niload no longer supports loading NFS file share
information into NetInfo.
See lookupd(8) for more information.
EXAMPLES
"niload passwd . < /etc/passwd" loads the local /etc/passwd file into
the local NetInfo database.
"niload -d -r /locations ." replaces the contents of /locations in the
local domain with input given in nidump "raw" format.
SEE ALSO
lookupd(8), nidump(8), niutil(8), netinfo(5), aliases(5), boot-
params(5), bootptab(5), fstab(5), group(5), hosts(5), networks(5),
passwd(5), printcap(5), protocols(5), rpc(5), services(5)
Apple Computer, Inc. December 22, 1992 niload(8)
Mac OS X 10.4 - Generated Fri Apr 29 08:12:34 CDT 2005