---
name: "netid"
section: "5"
platform: "openbsd"
package: "man"
version: "8.0-current-20261101"
release: "OpenBSD 8.0-current (2026-11-01)"
platforms: ["freebsd", "openbsd"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/netid"
---

# netid(5)

YP network credential file

## NAME

**netid** – YP network credential file

## DESCRIPTION

The file */etc/netid* consists of newline separated ASCII records. Each record consists of a key, a single blank character, and a value. The key and the value may be arbitrary strings except that neither may contain blank characters.

Records in the file */etc/netid* and in the *netid.byname* YP map are ignored by the system unless they have the following form:

```
unix.<uid>@<yp-domain> <uid>:<gid>,<gid>,...
```

When YP is enabled in the [group(5)](/group/5.md) file, such records specify that the function [getgrouplist(3)](/getgrouplist/3.md) shall return the specified groups in addition to the groups found in the group file. The file */etc/netid* is parsed before the *netid.byname* YP map. Only the first matching record is used.

The main use of the */etc/netid* file is to allow certain users to log in even while YP is enabled but temporarily unavailable. These users must also be listed in the local [master.passwd(5)](/master.passwd/5.md) file. If consistency of group membership information is required while YP is enabled and available, all records in the */etc/netid* file must agree with records in the *netid.byname* YP map, although the latter may contain additional records. If consistency of group membership information is required even while YP is enabled but unavailable, the records in the */etc/netid* file must not grant more group memberships than the [group(5)](/group/5.md) file, and users having their own record in the */etc/netid* file must not show up in the *group.byname* and *group.bygid* YP maps.

On a YP master server, [Makefile.yp(8)](/Makefile.yp/8.md) uses the [mknetid(8)](/mknetid/8.md) utility to generate the *netid.byname* YP map. In this case, the YP map will also contain records of the following form:

```
unix.<hostname>@<yp-domain> 0:<hostname>
```

Such records are ignored by the system.

## FILES

- */etc/netid*

  ## EXAMPLES

A netid file or YP map might look like the following:

```
unix.10714@kaka 10714:400,10
unix.jodie@kaka 0:jodie
```

## SEE ALSO

[getgrouplist(3)](/getgrouplist/3.md), [group(5)](/group/5.md), [Makefile.yp(8)](/Makefile.yp/8.md), [mknetid(8)](/mknetid/8.md), [yp(8)](/yp/8.md)

## AUTHORS

Mats O Jansson ⟨*moj@stacken.kth.se*⟩