Configuring The LDAP Client

When we have configured our LDAP server properly, we can configure and test the client.

Edit the ldap.conf configuration file

LDAP clients are configured using the /etc/openldap/ldap.conf file. We need to make sure that the file refers to the LDAP server's IP address for the mydomain.com. The file should look like this:

HOST x.x.x.x

BASE dc=mydomain,dc=com

Edit the /etc/nsswitch file

The /etc/nsswitch.conf file defines the order in which the Linux operating system searches login databases for login information.

Here we want to configure it to first search its /etc/passwd file. If it doesn't find the user password information there, it goes to the LDAP server. The easiest way set this up is to use the /usr/bin/authconfig-tui command or using the setup command and there select Authentication Configuration:

1. Select use LDAP.
2. Give the LDAP server's IP address, which is x.x.x.x.
3. Give the base DN as dc=mydomain,dc=com
4. Do not select TLS.
5. Use MD5 and shadow passwords.

After finishing the same, once check the details in /etc/nsswitch.conf file and make sure it has references to LDAP.

Create Home Directories On The LDAP Client

Check if ldapuser is Missing From the /etc/passwd file

We can look for ldapuser by searching the /etc/passwd file with the grep command. There should be no response.

# grep ldapuser /etc/passwd

Create The Home Directory For ldapuser On The LDAP Client

 # mkdir /home/ldapuser

# chmod 700 /home/ldapuser/