Provided by: libldap-2.4-2_2.4.42+dfsg-2ubuntu3.13_amd64 
NAME
ldap.conf, .ldaprc - LDAP configuration file/environment variables
SYNOPSIS
/etc/ldap/ldap.conf, ldaprc, .ldaprc, $LDAP<option-name>
DESCRIPTION
If the environment variable LDAPNOINIT is defined, all defaulting is disabled.
The ldap.conf configuration file is used to set system-wide defaults to be applied when running ldap
clients.
Users may create an optional configuration file, ldaprc or .ldaprc, in their home directory which will be
used to override the system-wide defaults file. The file ldaprc in the current working directory is also
used.
Additional configuration files can be specified using the LDAPCONF and LDAPRC environment variables.
LDAPCONF may be set to the path of a configuration file. This path can be absolute or relative to the
current working directory. The LDAPRC, if defined, should be the basename of a file in the current
working directory or in the user's home directory.
Environmental variables may also be used to augment the file based defaults. The name of the variable is
the option name with an added prefix of LDAP. For example, to define BASE via the environment, set the
variable LDAPBASE to the desired value.
Some options are user-only. Such options are ignored if present in the ldap.conf (or file specified by
LDAPCONF).
Thus the following files and variables are read, in order:
variable $LDAPNOINIT, and if that is not set:
system file /etc/ldap/ldap.conf,
user files $HOME/ldaprc, $HOME/.ldaprc, ./ldaprc,
system file $LDAPCONF,
user files $HOME/$LDAPRC, $HOME/.$LDAPRC, ./$LDAPRC,
variables $LDAP<uppercase option name>.
Settings late in the list override earlier ones.
SYNTAX
The configuration options are case-insensitive; their value, on a case by case basis, may be case-
sensitive.
Blank lines are ignored.
Lines beginning with a hash mark (`#') are comments, and ignored.
Valid lines are made of an option's name (a sequence of non-blanks, conventionally written in uppercase,
although not required), followed by a value. The value starts with the first non-blank character after
the option's name, and terminates at the end of the line, or at the last sequence of blanks before the
end of the line. The tokenization of the value, if any, is delegated to the handler(s) for that option,
if any. Quoting values that contain blanks may be incorrect, as the quotes would become part of the
value. For example,
# Wrong - erroneous quotes:
URI "ldap:// ldaps://"
# Right - space-separated list of URIs, without quotes:
URI ldap:// ldaps://
# Right - DN syntax needs quoting for Example, Inc:
BASE ou=IT staff,o="Example, Inc",c=US
# or:
BASE ou=IT staff,o=Example2C Inc,c=US
# Wrong - comment on same line as option:
DEREF never # Never follow aliases
A line cannot be longer than LINE_MAX, which should be more than 2000 bytes on all platforms. There is
no mechanism to split a long line on multiple lines, either for beautification or to overcome the above
limit.
OPTIONS
The different configuration options are:
URI <ldap[si]://[name[:port]] ...>
Specifies the URI(s) of an LDAP server(s) to which the LDAP library should connect. The URI
scheme may be any of ldap, ldaps or ldapi, which refer to LDAP over TCP, LDAP over SSL (TLS) and
LDAP over IPC (UNIX domain sockets), respectively. Each server's name can be specified as a
domain-style name or an IP address literal. Optionally, the server's name can followed by a ':'
and the port number the LDAP server is listening on. If no port number is provided, the default
port for the scheme is used (389 for ldap://, 636 for ldaps://). For LDAP over IPC, name is the
name of the socket, and no port is required, nor allowed; note that directory separators must be
URL-encoded, like any other characters that are special to URLs; so the socket
/usr/local/var/ldapi
must be specified as
ldapi://%2Fusr%2Flocal%2Fvar%2Fldapi
A space separated list of URIs may be provided.
BASE <base>
Specifies the default base DN to use when performing ldap operations. The base must be specified
as a Distinguished Name in LDAP format.
BINDDN <dn>
Specifies the default bind DN to use when performing ldap operations. The bind DN must be
specified as a Distinguished Name in LDAP format. This is a user-only option.
DEREF <when>
Specifies how alias dereferencing is done when performing a search. The <when> can be specified as
one of the following keywords:
never Aliases are never dereferenced. This is the default.
searching
Aliases are dereferenced in subordinates of the base object, but not in locating the base
object of the search.
finding
Aliases are only dereferenced when locating the base object of the search.
always Aliases are dereferenced both in searching and in locating the base object of the search.
HOST <name[:port] ...>
Specifies the name(s) of an LDAP server(s) to which the LDAP library should connect. Each
server's name can be specified as a domain-style name or an IP address and optionally followed by
a ':' and the port number the ldap server is listening on. A space separated list of hosts may be
provided. HOST is deprecated in favor of URI.
NETWORK_TIMEOUT <integer>
Specifies the timeout (in seconds) after which the poll(2)/select(2) following a connect(2)
returns in case of no activity.
PORT <port>
Specifies the default port used when connecting to LDAP servers(s). The port may be specified as
a number. PORT is deprecated in favor of URI.
REFERRALS <on/true/yes/off/false/no>
Specifies if the client should automatically follow referrals returned by LDAP servers. The
default is on. Note that the command line tools ldapsearch(1) &co always override this option.
SIZELIMIT <integer>
Specifies a size limit (number of entries) to use when performing searches. The number should be
a non-negative integer. SIZELIMIT of zero (0) specifies a request for unlimited search size.
Please note that the server may still apply any server-side limit on the amount of entries that
can be returned by a search operation.
TIMELIMIT <integer>
Specifies a time limit (in seconds) to use when performing searches. The number should be a non-
negative integer. TIMELIMIT of zero (0) specifies unlimited search time to be used. Please note
that the server may still apply any server-side limit on the duration of a search operation.
VERSION {2|3} Specifies what version of the LDAP protocol should be used.
TIMEOUT <integer>
Specifies a timeout (in seconds) after which calls to synchronous LDAP APIs will abort if no
response is received. Also used for any ldap_result(3) calls where a NULL timeout parameter is
supplied.
SASL OPTIONS
If OpenLDAP is built with Simple Authentication and Security Layer support, there are more options you
can specify.
SASL_MECH <mechanism>
Specifies the SASL mechanism to use. This is a user-only option.
SASL_REALM <realm>
Specifies the SASL realm. This is a user-only option.
SASL_AUTHCID <authcid>
Specifies the authentication identity. This is a user-only option.
SASL_AUTHZID <authcid>
Specifies the proxy authorization identity. This is a user-only option.
SASL_SECPROPS <properties>
Specifies Cyrus SASL security properties. The <properties> can be specified as a comma-separated
list of the following:
none (without any other properties) causes the properties defaults ("noanonymous,noplain") to be
cleared.
noplain
disables mechanisms susceptible to simple passive attacks.
noactive
disables mechanisms susceptible to active attacks.
nodict disables mechanisms susceptible to passive dictionary attacks.
noanonymous
disables mechanisms which support anonymous login.
forwardsec
requires forward secrecy between sessions.
passcred
requires mechanisms which pass client credentials (and allows mechanisms which can pass
credentials to do so).
minssf=<factor>
specifies the minimum acceptable security strength factor as an integer approximating the
effective key length used for encryption. 0 (zero) implies no protection, 1 implies
integrity protection only, 56 allows DES or other weak ciphers, 112 allows triple DES and
other strong ciphers, 128 allows RC4, Blowfish and other modern strong ciphers. The
default is 0.
maxssf=<factor>
specifies the maximum acceptable security strength factor as an integer (see minssf
description). The default is INT_MAX.
maxbufsize=<factor>
specifies the maximum security layer receive buffer size allowed. 0 disables security
layers. The default is 65536.
GSSAPI OPTIONS
If OpenLDAP is built with Generic Security Services Application Programming Interface support, there are
more options you can specify.
GSSAPI_SIGN <on/true/yes/off/false/no>
Specifies if GSSAPI signing (GSS_C_INTEG_FLAG) should be used. The default is off.
GSSAPI_ENCRYPT <on/true/yes/off/false/no>
Specifies if GSSAPI encryption (GSS_C_INTEG_FLAG and GSS_C_CONF_FLAG) should be used. The default
is off.
GSSAPI_ALLOW_REMOTE_PRINCIPAL <on/true/yes/off/false/no>
Specifies if GSSAPI based authentication should try to form the target principal name out of the
ldapServiceName or dnsHostName attribute of the targets RootDSE entry. The default is off.
TLS OPTIONS
If OpenLDAP is built with Transport Layer Security support, there are more options you can specify.
These options are used when an ldaps:// URI is selected (by default or otherwise) or when the application
negotiates TLS by issuing the LDAP StartTLS operation.
TLS_CACERT <filename>
Specifies the file that contains certificates for all of the Certificate Authorities the client
will recognize.
TLS_CACERTDIR <path>
Specifies the path of a directory that contains Certificate Authority certificates in separate
individual files. The TLS_CACERT is always used before TLS_CACERTDIR. This parameter is ignored
with GnuTLS. On Debian openldap is linked against GnuTLS.
When using Mozilla NSS, <path> may contain a Mozilla NSS cert/key database. If <path> contains a
Mozilla NSS cert/key database and CA cert files, OpenLDAP will use the cert/key database and will
ignore the CA cert files.
TLS_CERT <filename>
Specifies the file that contains the client certificate. This is a user-only option.
When using Mozilla NSS, if using a cert/key database (specified with TLS_CACERTDIR), TLS_CERT
specifies the name of the certificate to use:
TLS_CERT Certificate for Sam Carter
If using a token other than the internal built in token, specify the token name first, followed by
a colon:
TLS_CERT my hardware device:Certificate for Sam Carter
Use certutil -L to list the certificates by name:
certutil -d /path/to/certdbdir -L
TLS_KEY <filename>
Specifies the file that contains the private key that matches the certificate stored in the
TLS_CERT file. Currently, the private key must not be protected with a password, so it is of
critical importance that the key file is protected carefully. This is a user-only option.
When using Mozilla NSS, TLS_KEY specifies the name of a file that contains the password for the
key for the certificate specified with TLS_CERT. The modutil command can be used to turn off
password protection for the cert/key database. For example, if TLS_CACERTDIR specifies
/home/scarter/.moznss as the location of the cert/key database, use modutil to change the password
to the empty string:
modutil -dbdir ~/.moznss -changepw 'NSS Certificate DB'
You must have the old password, if any. Ignore the WARNING about the running browser. Press
'Enter' for the new password.
TLS_CIPHER_SUITE <cipher-suite-spec>
Specifies acceptable cipher suite and preference order. <cipher-suite-spec> should be a cipher
specification for the TLS library in use (OpenSSL, GnuTLS, or Mozilla NSS). Example:
OpenSSL:
TLS_CIPHER_SUITE HIGH:MEDIUM:+SSLv2
GnuTLS:
TLS_CIPHER_SUITE SECURE256:!AES-128-CBC
To check what ciphers a given spec selects in OpenSSL, use:
openssl ciphers -v <cipher-suite-spec>
With GnuTLS the available specs can be found in the manual page of gnutls-cli(1) (see the
description of the option --priority).
In older versions of GnuTLS, where gnutls-cli does not support the option --priority, you can
obtain the — more limited — list of ciphers by calling:
gnutls-cli -l
When using Mozilla NSS, the OpenSSL cipher suite specifications are used and translated into the
format used internally by Mozilla NSS. There isn't an easy way to list the cipher suites from the
command line. The authoritative list is in the source code for Mozilla NSS in the file sslinfo.c
in the structure
static const SSLCipherSuiteInfo suiteInfo[]
TLS_PROTOCOL_MIN <major>[.<minor>]
Specifies minimum SSL/TLS protocol version that will be negotiated. If the server doesn't support
at least that version, the SSL handshake will fail. To require TLS 1.x or higher, set this option
to 3.(x+1), e.g.,
TLS_PROTOCOL_MIN 3.2
would require TLS 1.1. Specifying a minimum that is higher than that supported by the OpenLDAP
implementation will result in it requiring the highest level that it does support. This parameter
is ignored with GnuTLS.
TLS_RANDFILE <filename>
Specifies the file to obtain random bits from when /dev/[u]random is not available. Generally set
to the name of the EGD/PRNGD socket. The environment variable RANDFILE can also be used to
specify the filename. This parameter is ignored with GnuTLS and Mozilla NSS. On Debian openldap
is linked against GnuTLS.
TLS_REQCERT <level>
Specifies what checks to perform on server certificates in a TLS session, if any. The <level> can
be specified as one of the following keywords:
never The client will not request or check any server certificate.
allow The server certificate is requested. If no certificate is provided, the session proceeds
normally. If a bad certificate is provided, it will be ignored and the session proceeds
normally.
try The server certificate is requested. If no certificate is provided, the session proceeds
normally. If a bad certificate is provided, the session is immediately terminated.
demand | hard
These keywords are equivalent. The server certificate is requested. If no certificate is
provided, or a bad certificate is provided, the session is immediately terminated. This is
the default setting.
TLS_CRLCHECK <level>
Specifies if the Certificate Revocation List (CRL) of the CA should be used to verify if the
server certificates have not been revoked. This requires TLS_CACERTDIR parameter to be set. This
parameter is ignored with GnuTLS and Mozilla NSS. On Debian openldap is linked against GnuTLS.
<level> can be specified as one of the following keywords:
none No CRL checks are performed
peer Check the CRL of the peer certificate
all Check the CRL for a whole certificate chain
TLS_CRLFILE <filename>
Specifies the file containing a Certificate Revocation List to be used to verify if the server
certificates have not been revoked. This parameter is only supported with GnuTLS and Mozilla NSS.
ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES
LDAPNOINIT
disable all defaulting
LDAPCONF
path of a configuration file
LDAPRC basename of ldaprc file in $HOME or $CWD
LDAP<option-name>
Set <option-name> as from ldap.conf
FILES
/etc/ldap/ldap.conf
system-wide ldap configuration file
$HOME/ldaprc, $HOME/.ldaprc
user ldap configuration file
$CWD/ldaprc
local ldap configuration file
SEE ALSO
ldap(3), ldap_set_option(3), ldap_result(3), openssl(1), sasl(3)
AUTHOR
Kurt Zeilenga, The OpenLDAP Project
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
OpenLDAP Software is developed and maintained by The OpenLDAP Project <http://www.openldap.org/>.
OpenLDAP Software is derived from University of Michigan LDAP 3.3 Release.