LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) is an industry standard application protocol for accessing and maintaining distributed directory information services.
Generic LDAP Tools
Standard tools available in ldap-utils (Debian/Ubuntu) or openldap-clients (RHEL).
Browsing & Search
# Basic search (search everything)
ldapsearch -x -b "dc=example,dc=com"
# Search with filter
ldapsearch -x -b "dc=example,dc=com" "(objectClass=person)"
# Search specific user by UID
ldapsearch -x -b "dc=example,dc=com" "(uid=jdoe)"
# Authenticated search (bind DN)
ldapsearch -x -D "cn=admin,dc=example,dc=com" -W -b "dc=example,dc=com"
# Show specific attributes only
ldapsearch -x -b "dc=example,dc=com" "(uid=jdoe)" cn mail mobile
Modification
# Add entry from LDIF file
ldapadd -x -D "cn=admin,dc=example,dc=com" -W -f user.ldif
# Modify entry (LDIF must contain 'changetype: modify')
ldapmodify -x -D "cn=admin,dc=example,dc=com" -W -f modify.ldif
# Delete entry
ldapdelete -x -D "cn=admin,dc=example,dc=com" -W "uid=jdoe,ou=people,dc=example,dc=com"
# Change password
ldappasswd -x -D "cn=admin,dc=example,dc=com" -W -S "uid=jdoe,ou=people,dc=example,dc=com"