== Setting up OpenLDAP (slapd deamon) and working with python-ldap ==

This is a short help on setting up OpenLDAP as a test environment for my project. Also I gave a brief tutorial on python-ldap module.

In this help I worked on Linux Ubuntu and slapd version 2.3.35:
{{{
# slapd -V 
@(#) $OpenLDAP: slapd 2.3.35 (Mar  5 2008 15:11:54) $
buildd@terranova:/build/buildd/openldap2.3-2.3.35/debian/build/servers/slapd
}}}

=== Setting up OpenLDAP ===


==== Installing slapd ====
Getting and installing ''slapd,ldap-utils db4.2-util'' package:
{{{
# apt-get install slapd ldap-utils db4.2-util
}}}

After typing upper commands you will be asked for some configuration informations:
  * password for admin entry in LDAP directory (and a confirmation of a password)
If slapd is properly installed you should see something like:
{{{
Unpacking slapd (from .../slapd_2.3.35-1ubuntu0.2_i386.deb) ...
Setting up slapd (2.3.35-1ubuntu0.2) ...
  Creating initial slapd configuration... done.
  Creating initial LDAP directory... done.
Starting OpenLDAP: slapd.
}}}

OpenLDAP is started. 

==== Configuring OpenLDAP ====

After installing OpenLDAP we need to do some more configuration before start playing with python-ldap. First, it's a good thing not tu use clear text password. We generate encrypted password with ''slappasswd'' command:
{{{
$ slappasswd 
New password: 
Re-enter new password: 
{SSHA}Dv9AyLLtQ3fs0OKNfooseSSb4ErfCHPq
}}}

You need to put generated string into slapd configuration file ''/etc/ldap/slapd.conf''. For editing configuration you need to have root permission. In ''/etc/ldap/slapd.conf'' you need add to the end of configuration file:
{{{
suffix          "dc=example,dc=com"
directory       "/var/lib/ldap"
rootdn          "cn=admin,dc=example,dc=com"
rootpw          {SSHA}d2BamRTgBuhC6SxC0vFGWol31ki8iq5m
}}}

Also you need to make some changes into ldap configuration file ''/etc/ldap/ldap.conf''. Just uncomment the line below:
{{{
BASE    dc=example, dc=com
}}}

After making changes we need to restart sldap:
{{{
# /etc/init.d/slapd restart
Stopping OpenLDAP: slapd.
Starting OpenLDAP: slapd.
}}}


==== Test if it works properly ====

To test if the configuration file is correct and if the server is started correctly, use command ''slaptest''. 
{{{
# slaptest -u
config file testing succeeded
}}} 

For more slaptest options check manual page SLAPTEST(8).

==== Adding entries to LDAP ====

There are two ways for manually adding entries to LDAP:
   * creating file ''init.ldif'' and adding new entries into it
   * after reconfiguring LDAP with ''dpkg-reconfigure slapd'' command , using ldap-utils command ldapadd :
{{{ 
$ ldapadd -x -W -c -D "cn=admin,dc=example,dc=com" -f init.ldif 
}}}

We will show the first option. Crate file ''init.ldif'' and add to it:
{{{
dn: dc=example,dc=com
objectClass: dcObject
objectClass: organizationalUnit
dc: example
ou: Example Dot Com

dn: cn=admin,dc=example,dc=com
objectClass: simpleSecurityObject
objectClass: organizationalRole
cn: admin
description: LDAP administrator
userPassword: {SSHA}d2BamRTgBuhC6SxC0vFGWol31ki8iq5m


dn: ou=people,dc=example,dc=com
objectClass: organizationalUnit
ou: people

dn: ou=groups,dc=example,dc=com
objectClass: organizationalUnit
ou: groups
}}}

after adding entries to LDAP, you need to stop slapd, and delete the content that was automatically added at installation:
{{{
# rm -rf /var/lib/ldap/*
}}}

Than add a new content with slapadd command:
{{{
# slapadd -l init.ldif
}}}

One more thing you need to do is to correct permissions on the database:
{{{
# chown -R openldap:openldap /var/lib/ldap
}}}
The last thing is just start up slapd again
To see added entries to LDAP use command ''slapcat'':
{{{
# slapcat 
dn: dc=example,dc=com
objectClass: dcObject
objectClass: organizationalUnit
dc: example
ou: Example Dot Com
structuralObjectClass: organizationalUnit
entryUUID: 8b2863ac-b0be-102c-9698-bd26c857a2f7
creatorsName: cn=admin,dc=example,dc=com
modifiersName: cn=admin,dc=example,dc=com
createTimestamp: 20080507201847Z
modifyTimestamp: 20080507201847Z
entryCSN: 20080507201847Z#000000#00#000000

...
}}}

=== Working with python-ldap ===

The second part of this short tutorial shows how to work with python-ldap module. All examples are done in python console.
Before using ldap module you need to install it:
{{{
# apt-get install python-ldap
}}}

'''Tip:'''
    to enable Python completition in python console type:
{{{
>>> import readline, rlcompleter
>>> readline.parse_and_bind("tab: complete")

}}}

==== Initializing LDAP object and binding to a server ====

Initializing and binding is done by serveral commands:
{{{
>>> import ldap
>>> ldapObject= ldap.initialize('ldap://localhost')  #initializing ldapObject on uri: 'ldap://localhost'
>>> ldapObject.simple_bind("cn=admin,dc=example,dc=com", "secret")
1>>> ldapObject.result()
(97, [])
}}}
First we need to import ldap module, then initialize ldap object to localhost uri, and then bind an object with simple_bind method onto a LDAP with named DN and password. The result number 97 means success. If a failure occured result method will raise an exception.
An example if error occures is when we write wrong DN with exception ldap.INVALID_DN_SYNTAX - :
{{{
>>> ldapObject2= ldap.initialize('ldap://localhost') 
>>> ldapObject2.simple_bind("DN:cn=admin,dc=example,dc=com", "secret") #the DN syntax is wrong
2
>>> ldapObject2.result()
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
...
 File "/usr/lib/python2.5/site-packages/ldap/ldapobject.py", line 97, in _ldap_call
    result = func(*args,**kwargs)
ldap.INVALID_DN_SYNTAX: {'info': 'invalid DN', 'desc': 'Invalid DN syntax'}

}}}

Other LDAP exceptions you can find at - http://python-ldap.sourceforge.net/doc/html/ldap.html#exceptions