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Date:      Thu, 14 Feb 2002 16:27:24 -0800
From:      "Drew Tomlinson" <drew@mykitchentable.net>
To:        <durham@jcdurham.com>, <pmcgarvey@vianetworks.co.uk>, <questions@FreeBSD.ORG>, "Patrick O'Reilly" <patrick@mip.co.za>
Subject:   Re: LDAP How-To For A Newbie
Message-ID:  <017201c1b5b7$8a787fc0$c42a6ba5@lc.ca.gov>
References:  <000501c1b354$454be0f0$c42a6ba5@lc.ca.gov> <E16aZH4-000Ov6-00@pooh.noc.u-net.net> <200202130430.g1D4UK517996@w2xo.pgh.pa.us>

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----- Original Message -----
From: "Jim Durham" <durham@jcdurham.com>
To: <pmcgarvey@vianetworks.co.uk>; "Drew Tomlinson"
<drew@mykitchentable.net>; <questions@FreeBSD.ORG>
Sent: Tuesday, February 12, 2002 8:30 PM
Subject: Re: LDAP How-To For A Newbie


> > On Monday 11 February 2002 23:31 pm, Drew Tomlinson wrote:
> > > I have successfully configured my FBSD box as a mail server with
IMAP
> > > (yayyy!) and it seems to be working fine.  I like the fact that I
can
> > > get and manage my mail from anywhere and it's always the same as I
> > > left it.
> > >
> > > I use various clients such as Outlook Express, Squirrelmail, and
> > > Mozilla, depending upon the device I am using to retrieve my mail.
> > > But I have found a limitation.  Each client maintains it's own
> > > separate address book.  The time has come for me to create on
> > > centralized address book.  If I understand correctly, an LDAP
server
> > > can be used for this.
> > >
> > > I have installed OpenLDAP 1.2.13 from the ports looked at the docs
at
> > > www.openldap.org.  I can't determine if my ldap server is working
> > > properly as the example says to issue the following command:
> > >
> > > ldapsearch -x -b '' -s base '(objectclass=*)' namingContexts
> > >
> > > but this command returns an error as there is no "-x" option.
I've
> > > tried it without the "-x " and get an error stating "no such
object".
> > > Can anyone tell me what the "-x" option was supposed to do and
what
> > > an equivalent command would be?
> > >
>
> I assume you have filed a few pieces of data in the database?
>
> Just doing    ldapsearch -b 'ou=abook, dc=yourdomain, dc=com'
>
> should dump the database.  -x means "user simple authentication
instead
> of SASL".  I don't use authentication, I just block IPs to only allow
> useage from our LAN IPS.
>
> Well, it's been about a year, but I'll try to remember what I had to
go
> through to get this working at our place.

Thanks for your help!

> First, you need to develop a schema that will fit the various mail
clients
> as best possible. We have Netscape4.7, Outlook, Outlook Express and
> Entourage at our place. They all have different schemas. IE; one may
> use 'mobile' for cell phone number and one may use 'cell'.

I have gotten a little farther since I wrote my first message and have
been successful in completing the examples in the Quick Start Guide at
OpenLDAP.org.  But I am still lost.  I've been searching the web and
reading all I can about LDAP but I haven't found anything that explains
schemas, ObjectClasses, and whatever else I can't think of right now in
a way I can understand it.  I don't have a grasp of "the big picture" in
how one thing relates to another and thus, don't understand how to build
my LDIF file.

All I want (for now), is a centralized address book.  This will contain
all of the basics one might expect like name, email, street address,
phone numbers, etc.  I've read that there have been many ObjectClasses
(or was it schemas?) created for all kinds of things.  The one that
seemed to possibly fit my needs was inetorgperson (?) or something like
that.  But I still don't have any idea how to apply it.  I'm totally
lost!  Can you help point me in the right direction?  I think I need
"LDAP for Dummies" right now.

Thanks,

Drew

> About the easiest way I've found is to use Netscape 4.7 to import the
> Outlook address book, then dump it as an ldif file from Netscape.
> Netscape has a very broken way of doing ldif's, but it's a lot closer
than
> any other way you are going to be able to get an ascii file to import
into
> LDAP. At this point, I was able to do keyboard macros in emacs to fix
> the ldif file from Netscape and then import that into OpenLdap with
> ldapadd.
>
> You will also find that Netscape's support is very good. It allows
> name completion as soon as you type enough characters into the
> "To" address on a new email that it can figure out a match. If you
stop
> before a definite match, it will allow you to hit the TAB key and
select
> from the closest matches. Outlook 97 has no support, but can be made
> pretty good with the Messageware Addressbook add on service available
> on their site. Outlook 2000 has support, but it sucks swampwater...to
> be nice. You have to hit the "To:" button, then select "find" then
select
> the "service" you want to search.. Yuch....   Entourage is just fine.
> Outlook Express is useable, but not as nice as Netscape for LDAP.
> Unfortunately, Netscape 6x has no LDAP support. I think they plan
> to add it. (At least the Mozilla crew seems to be muttering something
> about doing it).
>
> So, it's probably the best solution for a variety of mail clients
(Pine
> uses LDAP quite nicely!), but it's not perfect.
>
> Hope this helps you.
>
> -Jim
>
>


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