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  • Configuring ldap client authentication using authconfig

    Posted on

    Hello there,

    I like to configure a RHEL 7 system to use ldap based client authentication with the authconfig tool.

    At first i tested the connection and availability of my ldap server with ldapsearch:

    ldapsearch -v -h hostname -y /root/passwdfile -D "cn=stringA,ou=stringB,o=stringC,o=stringD,o=stringE" -b "o=stringC,o=stringD,o=stringE" "(uid=john)"
    

    This query returned the expected result:

    filter: (uid=john)
    requesting: All userApplication attributes
    # extended LDIF
    #
    # LDAPv3
    # base  with scope subtree
    # filter: (uid=john)
    # requesting: ALL
    #
    
    # john, people, stringC, stringD, stringE
    dn: uid=john,ou=people,o=StringC,o=stringD,o=stringE
    uidNumber: 123456
    loginShell: /usr/bin/bash
    homeDirectory: /home/john
    gecos:: IErDtnJnIEthc3RuaW5nLFVIUlosLDA=
    gidNumber: 101
    cn: john
    sn: john
    uid: john
    objectClass: posixAccount
    objectClass: top
    objectClass: inetOrgPerson
    objectClass: shadowAccount
    objectClass: organizationalPerson
    objectClass: person
    
    # search result
    search: 2
    result: 0 Success
    
    # numResponses: 2
    # numEntries: 1
    

    In the second step I used authconfig to configure my system for using ldap authentication:

    authconfig --enableldap --enableldapauth --ldapserver="ldap://ldapbackend.example.com" --ldapbasedn="o=stringC,o=stringD,o=stringE" --update
    

    After that the configuration looks like as follows:

    authconfig --enableldap --enableldapauth --ldapserver="ldap://ldapbackend.example.com" --ldapbasedn="o=stringC,o=stringD,o=stringE" --test
    caching is disabled
    nss_files is always enabled
    nss_compat is disabled
    nss_db is disabled
    nss_hesiod is disabled
     hesiod LHS = ""
     hesiod RHS = ""
    nss_ldap is enabled
     LDAP+TLS is disabled
     LDAP server = "ldap://ldapbackend.example.com"
     LDAP base DN = "o=stringC,o=stringD,o=stringE"
    nss_nis is disabled
     NIS server = ""
     NIS domain = ""
    nss_nisplus is disabled
    nss_winbind is disabled
     SMB workgroup = ""
     SMB servers = ""
     SMB security = "user"
     SMB realm = ""
     Winbind template shell = "/bin/false"
     SMB idmap range = "16777216-33554431"
    nss_sss is enabled by default
    nss_wins is disabled
    nss_mdns4_minimal is disabled
    DNS preference over NSS or WINS is disabled
    pam_unix is always enabled
     shadow passwords are enabled
     password hashing algorithm is sha512
    pam_krb5 is disabled
     krb5 realm = ""
     krb5 realm via dns is disabled
     krb5 kdc = ""
     krb5 kdc via dns is disabled
     krb5 admin server = ""
    pam_ldap is enabled
     LDAP+TLS is disabled
     LDAP server = "ldap://ldapbackend.example.com"
     LDAP base DN = "o=stringC,o=stringD,o=stringE"
     LDAP schema = "rfc2307"
    pam_pkcs11 is disabled
     use only smartcard for login is disabled
     smartcard module = ""
     smartcard removal action = ""
    pam_fprintd is disabled
    pam_ecryptfs is disabled
    pam_winbind is disabled
     SMB workgroup = ""
     SMB servers = ""
     SMB security = "user"
     SMB realm = ""
    pam_sss is disabled by default
     credential caching in SSSD is enabled
     SSSD use instead of legacy services if possible is enabled
    IPAv2 is disabled
    IPAv2 domain was not joined
     IPAv2 server = ""
     IPAv2 realm = ""
     IPAv2 domain = ""
    pam_pwquality is enabled (try_first_pass local_users_only retry=3 authtok_type=)
    pam_passwdqc is disabled ()
    pam_access is disabled ()
    pam_mkhomedir or pam_oddjob_mkhomedir is disabled (umask=0077)
    Always authorize local users is enabled ()
    Authenticate system accounts against network services is disabled
    

    My /etc/nsswitch.conf shows the following entries:

    passwd:     files sss ldap
    shadow:     files sss ldap
    group:      files sss ldap
    

    But when I try to id the user used in the ldapsearch the user could not be found:

    id john
    id: john: no such user
    

    I'm very new to ldab based client authentication and followed the section authconfig in the System-Level Authentication Guide. I do not see any errors in the journal or /etc/messages that give me a hint what's wrong here.

    I appreciate if someone could give my some good advice on how to get ldap based configuration up and running.

    Kind regards,
    Joerg K.

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