SLAPD-PASSWD(5) File Formats Manual SLAPD-PASSWD(5)

# [NAME](#NAME)

slapd-passwd - /etc/passwd backend to slapd

# [SYNOPSIS](#SYNOPSIS)

/etc/openldap/slapd.conf

# [DESCRIPTION](#DESCRIPTION)

The PASSWD backend to [**slapd**(8)](/man/os/openldap-2.7/slapd.8) serves up the user account information listed in the system [**passwd**(5)](/man/os/openldap-2.7/passwd.5) file. This backend is provided for demonstration purposes only. The DN of each entry is "uid=<username>,<suffix>". Note that non-base searches scan the entire passwd file, and are best suited for hosts with small passwd files.

# [CONFIGURATION](#CONFIGURATION)

This **slapd.conf** option applies to the PASSWD backend database. That is, it must follow a "database passwd" line and come before any subsequent "backend" or "database" lines. Other database options are described in the [**slapd.conf**(5)](/man/os/openldap-2.7/slapd.conf.5) manual page.

[**file <filename>**](#file)

Specifies an alternate passwd file to use. The default is **/etc/passwd**.

# [ACCESS CONTROL](#ACCESS_CONTROL)

The **passwd** backend does not honor any of the access control semantics described in [**slapd.access**(5)](/man/os/openldap-2.7/slapd.access.5). Only **read (=r)** access to the **entry** pseudo-attribute and to the other attribute values of the entries returned by the **search** operation is honored, which is performed by the frontend.

# [FILES](#FILES)

/etc/openldap/slapd.conf

default slapd configuration file

/etc/passwd

user account information

# [SEE ALSO](#SEE_ALSO)

[**slapd.conf**(5)](/man/os/openldap-2.7/slapd.conf.5), [**slapd**(8)](/man/os/openldap-2.7/slapd.8), [**passwd**(5)](/man/os/openldap-2.7/passwd.5).

2026/09/08 OpenLDAP 2.7.1

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Document: slapd-passwd(5) from openldap-2.7 2.7.1-r1 (Chainguard OS)
Source: https://github.com/openldap/openldap.git