NAME

       slapd-shell - Shell backend to slapd

SYNOPSIS

       /etc/ldap/slapd.conf

DESCRIPTION

       The Shell backend to slapd(8) executes external programs to implement operations, and is designed to make
       it easy to tie an existing database to the slapd front-end.

       This backend is primarily intended to be used in prototypes.

WARNING

       The abandon shell command has been removed since OpenLDAP 2.1.

CONFIGURATION

       These slapd.conf options apply to the SHELL backend database.  That is,  they  must  follow  a  "database
       shell"  line  and  come  before any subsequent "backend" or "database" lines.  Other database options are
       described in the slapd.conf(5) manual page.

       These options specify the pathname and arguments of the program to execute in response to the given  LDAP
       operation.  Each option is followed by the input lines that the program receives:

       add <pathname> <argument>...
              ADD
              msgid: <message id>
              <repeat { "suffix:" <database suffix DN> }>
              <entry in LDIF format>

       bind <pathname> <argument>...
              BIND
              msgid: <message id>
              <repeat { "suffix:" <database suffix DN> }>
              dn: <DN>
              method: <method number>
              credlen: <length of <credentials>>
              cred: <credentials>

       compare <pathname> <argument>...
              COMPARE
              msgid: <message id>
              <repeat { "suffix:" <database suffix DN> }>
              dn: <DN>
              <attribute>: <value>

       delete <pathname> <argument>...
              DELETE
              msgid: <message id>
              <repeat { "suffix:" <database suffix DN> }>
              dn: <DN>

       modify <pathname> <argument>...
              MODIFY
              msgid: <message id>
              <repeat { "suffix:" <database suffix DN> }>
              dn: <DN>
              <repeat {
                  <"add"/"delete"/"replace">: <attribute>
                  <repeat { <attribute>: <value> }>
                  -
              }>

       modrdn <pathname> <argument>...
              MODRDN
              msgid: <message id>
              <repeat { "suffix:" <database suffix DN> }>
              dn: <DN>
              newrdn: <new RDN>
              deleteoldrdn: <0 or 1>
              <if new superior is specified: "newSuperior: <DN>">

       search <pathname> <argument>...
              SEARCH
              msgid: <message id>
              <repeat { "suffix:" <database suffix DN> }>
              base: <base DN>
              scope: <0-2, see ldap.h>
              deref: <0-3, see ldap.h>
              sizelimit: <size limit>
              timelimit: <time limit>
              filter: <filter>
              attrsonly: <0 or 1>
              attrs: <"all" or space-separated attribute list>

       unbind <pathname> <argument>...
              UNBIND
              msgid: <message id>
              <repeat { "suffix:" <database suffix DN> }>
              dn: <bound DN>

       Note  that  you  need  only supply configuration lines for those commands you want the backend to handle.
       Operations for which a command is not supplied will be refused with an "unwilling to perform" error.

       The search command should output the entries in LDIF format, each entry followed by  a  blank  line,  and
       after these the RESULT below.

       All commands except unbind should then output:
              RESULT
              code: <integer>
              matched: <matched DN>
              info: <text>
       where only the RESULT line is mandatory.  Lines starting with `#' or `DEBUG:' are ignored.

ACCESS CONTROL

       The  shell  backend does not honor all ACL semantics as described in slapd.access(5).  In general, access
       to objects is checked by using a dummy object that contains only the DN, so access rules that rely on the
       contents of the object are not honored.  In detail:

       The  add  operation  does  not  require  write (=w) access to the children pseudo-attribute of the parent
       entry.

       The bind operation requires auth (=x) access to the entry pseudo-attribute of the entry whose identity is
       being  assessed;  auth  (=x)  access  to  the  credentials  is  not  checked, but rather delegated to the
       underlying shell script.

       The compare operation requires read (=r) access (FIXME: wouldn't  compare  (=c)  be  a  more  appropriate
       choice?)   to the entry pseudo-attribute of the object whose value is being asserted; compare (=c) access
       to the attribute whose value is being asserted is not checked.

       The delete operation does not require write (=w) access to the children pseudo-attribute  of  the  parent
       entry.

       The  modify  operation requires write (=w) access to the entry pseudo-attribute; write (=w) access to the
       specific attributes that are modified is not checked.

       The modrdn operation does not require write (=w) access to the children pseudo-attribute  of  the  parent
       entry,  nor to that of the new parent, if different; write (=w) access to the distinguished values of the
       naming attributes is not checked.

       The search operation does not require search (=s) access to the entry pseudo_attribute of the searchBase;
       search (=s) access to the attributes and values used in the filter is not checked.

EXAMPLE

       There is an example search script in the slapd/back-shell/ directory in the OpenLDAP source tree.

LIMITATIONS

       The  shell backend does not support threaded environments.  When using the shell backend, slapd(8) should
       be built --without-threads.

FILES

       /etc/ldap/slapd.conf
              default slapd configuration file

SEE ALSO

       slapd.conf(5), slapd(8), sh(1).