libnss-db 2.2.3pre1-6+b1 / usr / share / doc / libnss-db / README

This directory contains the 2.2.3 release of the Berkeley DB NSS module.

See the file NEWS for the user-visible changes from previous releases.

For general building and installation instructions, see the file INSTALL.

The Berkeley DB NSS module provides an alternative means for storing
configuration information traditionally kept in several plain-text
files in `/etc' (e.g. `/etc/passwd').  The module uses the Berkeley DB
Library to store this information in several database files in
`/var/db' (e.g. `/var/db/passwd.db').  Using these databases can lead
to a considerable speedup if the files in `/etc' are large (e.g. on a
system with a lot of accounts).  Currently the module support the
`aliases', `ethers', `group', `netgroup', `protocols', `passwd',
`rpc', `services' and `shadow' databases.

The Berkeley DB NSS module used to be an integral part of the GNU C
Library.  However, starting with version 2.2, the Berkeley DB Library
is no longer part of the GNU C Library, and the Berkeley DB NSS module
was moved into its own package.  Unbundling the module has the
additional advantage that it is no longer tied to the specific version
of Berkeley DB that comes with the GNU C Library.  This version of the
module can be built with Berkeley DB version 2 and version 3.

*Warning*: If you use this module with a version of Berkeley DB that's
not installed on the root partition the module won't be available
until the partition that contains the Berkeley DB Library has been
mounted.  Therefore you should make sure that all essential
information is available via another NSS module (i.e. by duplicating
the information in the files in `/etc'), or install Berkeley DB on the
root partition.