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LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) allows you to search directories for address information. The campus-wide LDAP server, directory.csee.ogi.edu, currently contains information about OGI employees: e-mail address, phone extension, office number. Information about most students will come online later in calendar year 2000. A similar set of information is available about OHSU employees from ohsuldap.ohsu.edu.
Many modern mail clients are able to search an LDAP directory, a useful capability when you want to address a message to someone who's not in your personal address book. This document details how to take advantage of our directory from a number of commonly used mail programs:
Mozilla Thunderbird | Microsoft Outlook | Pine
Note: The LDAP databases are currently accessible only from machines on the OGI network. You will not be able to access them from other networks (e.g., if you use an ISP for home dialup access).
Setting up LDAP
Start Thunderbird.
Go to Tools -> Options.
Click on Composition in the left hand column.
Click the checkbox next to Directory Server under Address Autocompletion.
Click Edit Directories.
Click Add.
Now you need to fill out a few dialog boxes.
Name: OGI (The name that will appear on the list of directories.)
Hostname: directory.ogi.edu
Base DN: dc=ogi,dc=edu
Port Number: 389 (Should be default.)
Click on the Advanced tab.
Enter (objectclass=*) in the Search filter box.
Now your directory is made so click OK.
Make sure OGI appears next to Directory Server and Click OK again.
Searching the LDAP Database
From within the Address Book, single-click the OGI directory entry.
Type all or part of the name of the person for whom you're searching and you should get dynamic matches. You don't need to press the Enter key. Click on an entry to get a bit more information.
Setting up LDAP
Start Outlook.
Go to Tools -> Email Accounts.
Select Add a new directory or address book under the Directory heading and click Next.
Select Internet Directory Service (LDAP) and click Next.
Enter directory.ogi.edu into the dialog box. Leave the 'This server requires me to log on' box unchecked.
Click the More Settings ... button.
Enter OGI or whatever name you wish as the display name.
Click on the Search tab and enter dc=ogi,dc=edu as the Search base.
Click OK.
Click Next.
Click Finish.
Repeat the procedure for the OHSU server:
Server Name: ohsuldap.ohsu.edu
Search Base: o=ohsu
Searching the LDAP Database
You can use the search field in the toolbar to search the directory.
When composing a message, click the To... button and select Find... in the dialog that pops up to search the directory that way.
You can double-click on resultant names to get more information about the person.
We're working to install an LDAP-aware pine on all our departmental Unix servers. It up to date on many of the department's Linux servers; if you find a /usr/local/bin/pine use that one, but otherwise /usr/bin/pine should work just fine for LDAP searches.
You can set up pine to perform LDAP searches through the main configuration menu:
From the Main Menu, choose Setup (s) -> Directory (d) -> Add (a).
Set up the base values:
ldap-server = directory.ogi.edu
search-base = dc=ogi,dc=edu
port = <No Value Set: using "389">
nickname = OGI
If you want to be able to directory lookups when you're typing addresses in the To: line of messages you're composing, mark use-implicitly-from-composer under the Features menu.
You'll gain more flexibility in your searches if you set the search-type to sur-or-given-or-name-or-email and the search-rule to contains.
You can use all the default values for the remaining menu items.
Repeat the procedure for the OHSU directory:
ldap-server = ohsuldap.ohsu.edu
search-base = o=ohsu
port = <No Value Set: using "389">
nickname = OHSU
Caveat: The OHSU LDAP server is much larger, and slower, than its OGI counterpart. You might see a significant performance increase by changing the search-type to name instead of sur-or-given-or-name-or-email or any of the other combinations.
Once your settings are in place, you can use the auto-completion mode whenever you're composing a message. In the To:, Cc:, or Bcc: field, type the a few characters in your recipient's name or e-mail address and then press the Tab or Enter key. If the string you typed matches only one name in the directory, it will be completed automatically. If it matches multiple entries, pine will present you a menu of addresses from which you can choose the correct one.
OHSU :: OGI :: CSEE :: Support :: CSEE :: Tutorials
This page was most recently revised on February 03, 2006.
Please address questions or comments to the webmaster.