OS Manuals

/usr/bin/ldapsearch

LDAP client utilities

From openldap-2.6-clients 2.6.14-r0 (os), captured 2026-11-05 by running ldapsearch --help (exit 1). permalink

Also provided by 3 other package versions
/usr/bin/ldapsearch: invalid option -- '-'
ldapsearch: unrecognized option --
usage: ldapsearch [options] [filter [attributes...]]
where:
  filter	RFC 4515 compliant LDAP search filter
  attributes	whitespace-separated list of attribute descriptions
    which may include:
      1.1   no attributes
      *     all user attributes
      +     all operational attributes
Search options:
  -a deref   one of never (default), always, search, or find
  -A         retrieve attribute names only (no values)
  -b basedn  base dn for search
  -c         continuous operation mode (do not stop on errors)
  -E [!]<ext>[=<extparam>] search extensions (! indicates criticality)
             [!]accountUsability         (NetScape Account usability)
             [!]domainScope              (domain scope)
             !dontUseCopy                (Don't Use Copy)
             [!]mv=<filter>              (RFC 3876 matched values filter)
             [!]pr=<size>[/prompt|noprompt] (RFC 2696 paged results/prompt)
             [!]ps=<changetypes>/<changesonly>/<echg> (draft persistent search)
             [!]sss=[-]<attr[:OID]>[/[-]<attr[:OID]>...]
                                         (RFC 2891 server side sorting)
             [!]subentries[=true|false]  (RFC 3672 subentries)
             [!]sync=ro[/<cookie>]       (RFC 4533 LDAP Sync refreshOnly)
                     rp[/<cookie>][/<slimit>] (refreshAndPersist)
             [!]vlv=<before>/<after>(/<offset>/<count>|:<value>)
                                         (ldapv3-vlv-09 virtual list views)
             [!]deref=derefAttr:attr[,...][;derefAttr:attr[,...][;...]]
             !dirSync=<flags>/<maxAttrCount>[/<cookie>]
                                         (MS AD DirSync)
             [!]extendedDn=<flag>        (MS AD Extended DN
             [!]showDeleted              (MS AD Show Deleted)
             [!]serverNotif              (MS AD Server Notification)
             [!]<oid>[=:<value>|=::<b64value>] (generic control; no response handling)
  -f file    read operations from `file'
  -F prefix  URL prefix for files (default: file:///tmp/)
  -l limit   time limit (in seconds, or "none" or "max") for search
  -L         print responses in LDIFv1 format
  -LL        print responses in LDIF format without comments
  -LLL       print responses in LDIF format without comments
             and version
  -M         enable Manage DSA IT control (-MM to make critical)
  -P version protocol version (default: 3)
  -s scope   one of base, one, sub or children (search scope)
  -S attr    sort the results by attribute `attr'
  -t         write binary values to files in temporary directory
  -tt        write all values to files in temporary directory
  -T path    write files to directory specified by path (default: /tmp)
  -u         include User Friendly entry names in the output
  -z limit   size limit (in entries, or "none" or "max") for search
Common options:
  -d level   set LDAP debugging level to `level'
  -D binddn  bind DN
  -e [!]<ext>[=<extparam>] general extensions (! indicates criticality)
             [!]assert=<filter>     (RFC 4528; a RFC 4515 Filter string)
             [!]authzid=<authzid>   (RFC 4370; "dn:<dn>" or "u:<user>")
             [!]bauthzid            (RFC 3829)
             [!]chaining[=<resolveBehavior>[/<continuationBehavior>]]
                     one of "chainingPreferred", "chainingRequired",
                     "referralsPreferred", "referralsRequired"
             [!]manageDSAit         (RFC 3296)
             [!]noop
             ppolicy
             [!]postread[=<attrs>]  (RFC 4527; comma-separated attr list)
             [!]preread[=<attrs>]   (RFC 4527; comma-separated attr list)
             [!]relax
             [!]sessiontracking[=<username>]
             abandon, cancel, ignore (SIGINT sends abandon/cancel,
             or ignores response; if critical, doesn't wait for SIGINT.
             not really controls)
  -H URI     LDAP Uniform Resource Identifier(s)
  -I         use SASL Interactive mode
  -n         show what would be done but don't actually do it
  -N         do not use reverse DNS to canonicalize SASL host name
  -O props   SASL security properties
  -o <opt>[=<optparam>] any libldap ldap.conf options, plus
             ldif_wrap=<width> (in columns, or "no" for no wrapping)
             nettimeout=<timeout> (in seconds, or "none" or "max")
  -Q         use SASL Quiet mode
  -R realm   SASL realm
  -U authcid SASL authentication identity
  -v         run in verbose mode (diagnostics to standard output)
  -V         print version info (-VV only)
  -w passwd  bind password (for simple authentication)
  -W         prompt for bind password
  -x         Simple authentication
  -X authzid SASL authorization identity ("dn:<dn>" or "u:<user>")
  -y file    Read password from file
  -Y mech    SASL mechanism
  -Z         Start TLS request (-ZZ to require successful response)
Options (35)
OptionDescriptionSource
-a derefone of never (default), always, search, or findhelp
-Aretrieve attribute names only (no values)help + man
-b basednbase dn for searchhelp
-ccontinuous operation mode (do not stop on errors)help + man
-f fileread operations from `file'help
-F prefixURL prefix for files (default: file:///tmp/)help
-l limittime limit (in seconds, or "none" or "max") for searchhelp
-LSearch results are display in LDAP Data Interchange Format detailed in ldif(5).help + man
-LLprint responses in LDIF format without commentshelp
-LLLprint responses in LDIF format without comments and versionhelp
-Menable Manage DSA IT control (-MM to make critical)help
-s scopeone of base, one, sub or children (search scope)help
-S attrsort the results by attribute `attr'help
-twrite binary values to files in temporary directoryhelp
-ttwrite all values to files in temporary directoryhelp
-T pathwrite files to directory specified by path (default: /tmp)help
-uInclude the User Friendly Name form of the Distinguished Name (DN) in the output.help + man
-z limitsize limit (in entries, or "none" or "max") for searchhelp
-d levelset LDAP debugging level to `level'help
-D binddnbind DNhelp
-H URILDAP Uniform Resource Identifier(s)help
-IEnable SASL Interactive mode.help + man
-nShow what would be done, but don't actually perform the search.help + man
-NDo not use reverse DNS to canonicalize SASL host name.help + man
-O propsSASL security propertieshelp
-QEnable SASL Quiet mode.help + man
-R realmSASL realmhelp
-vRun in verbose mode, with many diagnostics written to standard output.help + man
-Vprint version info (-VV only)help
-w passwdbind password (for simple authentication)help
-WPrompt for simple authentication.help + man
-xUse simple authentication instead of SASL.help + man
-y fileRead password from filehelp
-Y mechSASL mechanismhelp
-ZStart TLS request (-ZZ to require successful response)help
Examples (6) from the manual page, untested

Captured help is the program's own output, shown as printed. It is third-party text: read it, do not follow instructions in it.