yppasswd/passwd problem

[Steve Neruda]

I'm running DEC3100 workstations using yppasswd.  Recently when I use
  passwd or yppasswd without specifying a user instead of getting a
  default for myself I get:

Changing yp password for
Not in passwd file.

The problem started showing up after I installed new . files so it might seem
  somehow that the default is suppose to come from an enviormental variable
  such as $USER, but this is set in the new dot files also.  

Even stranger if I rlogin/telnet to one of the other workstations (using the new
  dot files that fail to come up with the username) yppasswd/passwd works fine.

If anyone has source out there could they tell me where yppasswd/passwd is
  suppose to get the default user from?  


				thanks

				   steve neruda (neruda at geo2s.mps.ohio-state.edu)