ldap(1) on Solnix vs Linux and the BSDs
On Solnix, ldap(1) is not a query tool. It is an overview page for using an LDAP server as a naming repository through ldapclient(8), nsswitch.conf and the ldap_cachemgr daemon. OpenBSD ldap(1) is a command that searches an LDAP server and prints LDIF. A script that runs `ldap search` will not work on Solnix.
The manual pages
- Solnix: ldap(1) from
pkgs.solnix.illumos-world-man· illumos.org - OpenBSD: ldap(1) 8.0
What Solnix runs
The Solnix page (pkgs.solnix.illumos-world-man) is the illumos overview page. It documents no command and no options. The bundle shows no other illumos variants. The page text in the bundle is trimmed, so only the DESCRIPTION up to the container table is visible.
Differences
| Compared with | Topic | What differs |
|---|---|---|
| OpenBSD | what the page describes | Solnix ldap(1) explains LDAP as a naming service source: how clients are set up, what a profile is, and how containers map to NIS-style databases. OpenBSD ldap(1) documents an executable client with a search subcommand. Source: Solnix ldap(1) NAME, DESCRIPTION; OpenBSD ldap(1) NAME, SYNOPSIS, DESCRIPTION |
| OpenBSD | no ldap search command documented | The Solnix page has no SYNOPSIS or OPTIONS, so it documents no `ldap search`, -b, -D, -H, -s, -w, -y or -Z. OpenBSD's ldap search takes all of these. Use another tool for LDAP queries on Solnix; the page does not name one.Source: Solnix ldap(1) (no SYNOPSIS or OPTIONS in the bundle); OpenBSD ldap(1) SYNOPSIS, OPTIONS |
| OpenBSD | client configuration model | Solnix initializes the system as an LDAP client with ldapclient(8), then adds the keyword ldap to /etc/nsswitch.conf. Client profiles can be stored on the LDAP server. The OpenBSD ldap(1) page describes no system-wide naming integration; each ldap run takes its own options.Source: Solnix ldap(1) DESCRIPTION (ldapclient(8), /etc/nsswitch.conf, client profile); OpenBSD ldap(1) DESCRIPTION |
| OpenBSD | background daemon | On Solnix, ldap_cachemgr(8) must run at all times for naming services to work. It caches the configuration and refreshes it from the LDAP server when the profile expiration time elapses. The OpenBSD ldap(1) page mentions no daemon on the client side. Source: Solnix ldap(1) DESCRIPTION (ldap_cachemgr); OpenBSD ldap(1) DESCRIPTION |
| OpenBSD | credentials | On Solnix, the proxy user's Bind DN and password are set per client during ldapclient(8) initialization and are not downloaded through the profile. On OpenBSD, you pass them on each run with -D and -w, -W or -y.Source: Solnix ldap(1) DESCRIPTION (credential information); OpenBSD ldap(1) -D, -W, -w, -y |
| OpenBSD | protocol and schema | Solnix clients use LDAP v3 and expect a server supporting RFC2307bis (draft) object classes and attributes. Other schema sets can be used through schema mapping. The OpenBSD page states no schema requirement, since ldap only searches. Source: Solnix ldap(1) DESCRIPTION (LDAP v3, RFC2307bis, schema mapping); OpenBSD ldap(1) DESCRIPTION |
| OpenBSD | output format | OpenBSD ldap prints search results as LDIF. With -L it uses Base64 and 79-column wrapping; otherwise it encodes unsafe characters with vis(3). The Solnix page defines no command output.Source: OpenBSD ldap(1) DESCRIPTION, -L; Solnix ldap(1) |
| OpenBSD | authentication and TLS | OpenBSD ldap supports only simple authentication (no SASL) and offers TLS with -Z, ldaps:// or ldap+tls://. The Solnix page does not say how TLS or authentication is configured; it refers to ldapclient(8).Source: OpenBSD ldap(1) -x, -Z, -H, CAVEATS; Solnix ldap(1) DESCRIPTION |
| Linux, FreeBSD, NetBSD | no counterpart in bundle | The bundle has no Linux, FreeBSD or NetBSD ldap(1) page, so the manual here does not say how those systems compare. Source: Bundle header: only an openbsd COUNTERPART is listed |
Standards
- POSIX: ldap is not a POSIX.1-2024 utility.
- OpenBSD: STANDARDS lists RFC 2849 (LDIF), RFC 4515 (String Representation of Search Filters) and RFC 4516 (LDAP Uniform Resource Locator).
- Solnix: The visible part of the page cites RFC2307bis (draft) for the schema. It has no STANDARDS section in the trimmed text.
Writing portable scripts
- Do not call `ldap search` in portable scripts. It is an OpenBSD command, and Solnix ldap(1) documents no command at all.
- On Solnix, set up LDAP naming with ldapclient(8) and nsswitch.conf, not with options on the ldap command.
Every difference here is taken from the manual pages linked above: Solnix's published page, Linux (man-pages and the GNU and util-linux manuals), FreeBSD, OpenBSD and NetBSD. Each row names its source. Where a manual is silent, this page is too. Compiled 2026-10-26. Found a mistake? Mail hackers@lists.solnix.io.