For headless Linux environments where simplicity trumps enterprise features, these solutions work best:

# OpenLDAP (Most standard implementation)
sudo apt install slapd ldap-utils
sudo dpkg-reconfigure slapd

# 389 Directory Server (Red Hat's robust alternative)
sudo dnf install 389-ds-base
sudo dscreate from-file ds.inf

For testing/development environments, this basic slapd.conf gets you running:

include /etc/openldap/schema/core.schema
include /etc/openldap/schema/cosine.schema

database mdb
suffix "dc=example,dc=com"
rootdn "cn=admin,dc=example,dc=com"
rootpw {SSHA}hashed_password_here
directory /var/lib/ldap

These utilities should be in every LDAP admin's toolkit:

# Search the directory
ldapsearch -x -H ldap://localhost -b "dc=example,dc=com"

# Add new entry
ldapadd -x -D "cn=admin,dc=example,dc=com" -W -f newuser.ldif

# Modify existing entry
ldapmodify -x -D "cn=admin,dc=example,dc=com" -W -f changes.ldif

For remote management from Windows machines:

• Apache Directory Studio (Eclipse-based, cross-platform)
• LDAP Admin (Lightweight native Windows client)
• Softerra LDAP Browser (Commercial but feature-rich)

When the LDAP server won't start:

# Check slapd logs
journalctl -u slapd

# Test configuration
slaptest -f /etc/openldap/slapd.conf -F /etc/openldap/slapd.d/

# Verify network connectivity
nc -zv localhost 389

Basic organizational structure to populate your directory:

dn: dc=example,dc=com
objectClass: top
objectClass: domain
dc: example

dn: ou=people,dc=example,dc=com
objectClass: organizationalUnit
ou: people

dn: cn=testuser,ou=people,dc=example,dc=com
objectClass: inetOrgPerson
cn: testuser
sn: User
uid: testuser
userPassword: {SSHA}hashedpassword

---

For a lightweight LDAP server setup on Linux, OpenLDAP remains the gold standard for its reliability and minimal footprint. The 2.4+ branch offers excellent performance while maintaining simplicity. Here's how to get started:

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt-get install slapd ldap-utils

# CentOS/RHEL
sudo yum install openldap-servers openldap-clients

After installation, configure the basic settings with:

sudo dpkg-reconfigure slapd

Select "No" when asked about omitting OpenLDAP server configuration, then set your domain components (e.g., dc=example,dc=com). For a minimal setup, the MDB database backend is recommended.

Create your initial directory structure with an LDIF file (base.ldif):

dn: dc=example,dc=com
objectClass: top
objectClass: dcObject
objectClass: organization
o: Example Organization
dc: example

dn: ou=people,dc=example,dc=com
objectClass: organizationalUnit
ou: people

Load it with:

ldapadd -x -D cn=admin,dc=example,dc=com -W -f base.ldif

The ldap-utils package provides all necessary CLI tools:

• ldapsearch: Query directory
• ldapmodify: Modify entries
• ldapadd: Add new entries
• ldapdelete: Remove entries

For Windows clients, these options work well:

LDAP Admin (Windows GUI)

A lightweight standalone client with excellent LDAP v3 support. Configuration is straightforward:

1. Download from ldapadmin.org
2. Create new connection
3. Enter server details and admin credentials

Apache Directory Studio

Cross-platform Eclipse-based client that's more powerful but still simple to use.

For quick web access, phpLDAPadmin remains a solid choice:

sudo apt-get install phpldapadmin

Configure /etc/phpldapadmin/config.php with your server details, then access via http://yourserver/phpldapadmin

Common pitfalls and solutions:

# Check if server is running
sudo systemctl status slapd

# Test basic query (anonymous bind)
ldapsearch -x -b "dc=example,dc=com" "(objectclass=*)"

# Enable debug logging
sudo slapd -d 256 -h "ldap:///"

Minimal security setup for development:

# Require secure binds
sudo ldapmodify -Y EXTERNAL -H ldapi:/// <<EOF
dn: cn=config
changetype: modify
add: olcRequires
olcRequires: authc
EOF