The OpenLDAP software is available to several operating systems: Microsoft Windows, Debian, SuSE Linux Enterprise Server, Red Hat, Solaris, Mac OS X, and so on.

It can easily be installed through package managers such as RPM, APT, or MacPorts on Linux and Mac using the following commands:

For Linux with APT:

sudo apt-get install slapd ldap-utils

For RPM-based systems:

sudo yum install openldap-servers openldap-clients nss_ldap

For Mac OSX:

sudo port install openldap

Windows users can download and install the executable package available at http://userbooster.de/en/download/openldap-for-windows.aspx.

Under some distributions, OpenLDAP provides ldap.conf and slapd.conf files with standard values. There are cases where these files must be copied or renamed from default files that come as part of the distribution. For example, on a Mac OS X system, the following files must be copied or renamed:

On Ubuntu Linux, these steps can be skipped as the configuration files are already at the /etc/ldap directory.

Files ldap.conf and slapd.conf are the most important ones on an OpenLDAP configuration, with DB_CONFIG being the file-based database that stores runtime configuration such as users and groups.

After copying or renaming the files, open the ldap.conf (under /private/etc/openldap on Mac or /etc/ldap/ldap.conf on Ubuntu/Linux) so we can set or uncomment the BASE value used for an LDAP tree. Note that we're going to use example.com as our base domain values:

## Make sure you have the BASE uncommented
BASE   dc=example,dc=com
#URI   ldap://ldap.example.com ldap://ldap-master.example.com:666

Use the command slappasswd to generate an encoded password or use the default password secret when asked for a password on the next command. Depending on your OS you may have already set this password during the installation.

Example:

$ slappasswd -s welcome1
{SSHA}Pcvcy4CpSL4BVLA0MWLtKM9XbV3Tw3q+

Now we're going to use this hashed value on rootpw variable in the configuration file. Also check or set suffix and rootdn values on slapd.conf as follows:

suffix          "dc=example,dc=com"
rootdn          "cn=Manager,dc=example,dc=com"
# Use of strong authentication is encouraged
rootpw          {SSHA}Pcvcy4CpSL4BVLA0MWLtKM9XbV3Tw3q+

Still in slapd.conf there is a section that includes schemas used by this instance of OpenLDAP. Enable additional schemas to store other commonly required information and structures under the directory service:

#
# See slapd.conf(5) for details on configuration options.
# This file should NOT be world readable.
#
include /private/etc/openldap/schema/core.schema
include /private/etc/openldap/schema/cosine.schema
include /private/etc/openldap/schema/nis.schema
include /private/etc/openldap/schema/inetorgperson.schema

ldapadd -Y EXTERNAL -H ldapi:/// -f /etc/ldap/schema/cosine.ldif
ldapadd -Y EXTERNAL -H ldapi:/// -f /etc/ldap/schema/inetorgperson.ldif
ldapadd -Y EXTERNAL -H ldapi:/// -f /etc/ldap/schema/nis.ldif

In order to test what we have configured so far, we need to restart the OpenLDAP server by issuing a command like the following:

sudo /etc/init.d/slapd restart

Or as follows:

sudo /usr/libexec/slapd -d3

Now you can load the default entries from the export file provided with the book bundle using the following command:

sudo ldapadd -c -D "cn=Manager,dc=example,dc=com" -W -fldap_export.ldif

And after that you can list all the entries using a command like this:

ldapsearch -z 0 -b "dc=example,dc=com" -D "cn=Manager,dc=example,dc=com" -W "(objectclass=*)"

If you followed all the steps and imported the file we're providing with the book, the output should look like this:

Enter LDAP Password:
# extended LDIF
#
# LDAPv3
# base <dc=example,dc=com> with scope subtree
# filter: (objectclass=*)
# requesting: ALL
#

# example.com
dn: dc=example,dc=com
objectClass: organizationalUnit
objectClass: dcObject
dc: example
ou: example

# people, example.com
dn: ou=people,dc=example,dc=com
objectClass: top
objectClass: organizationalUnit
ou: people

# groups, example.com
dn: ou=groups,dc=example,dc=com
objectClass: top
objectClass: organizationalUnit
ou: groups

# robert@example.com, people, example.com
dn: cn=robert@example.com,ou=people,dc=example,dc=com
objectClass: top
objectClass: person
objectClass: organizationalPerson
objectClass: inetOrgPerson
cn: robert@example.com
sn: Robert
mail: robert@example.com
userPassword: XXXX 

# admin, groups, example.com
dn: cn=admin,ou=groups,dc=example,dc=com
objectClass: top
objectClass: groupOfNames
cn: admin
member: cn=superuser@example.com,ou=people,dc=example,dc=com
ou: admin

# john@example.com, people, example.com
dn: cn=john@example.com,ou=people,dc=example,dc=com
objectClass: top
objectClass: person
objectClass: organizationalPerson
objectClass: inetOrgPerson
cn: john@example.com
sn: john
userPassword:: XXXX

And that's it, we now have every required piece of software installed and configured.