SLAPCAT(8) System Manager's Manual SLAPCAT(8)
NAME
slapcat - SLAPD database to LDIF utility
SYNOPSIS
/usr/sbin/slapcat [-afilter] [-bsuffix] [-c] [-ddebug-level] [-fs-
lapd.conf] [-Fconfdir] [-g] [-HURI] [-lldif-file] [-ndbnum] [-oop-
tion[=value]] [-ssubtree-dn] [-v]
DESCRIPTION
Slapcat is used to generate an LDAP Directory Interchange Format (LDIF)
output based upon the contents of a slapd(8) database. It opens the
given database determined by the database number or suffix and writes
the corresponding LDIF to standard output or the specified file. Data-
bases configured as subordinate of this one are also output, unless -g
is specified.
The entry records are presented in database order, not superior first
order. The entry records will include all (user and operational) at-
tributes stored in the database. The entry records will not include dy-
namically generated attributes (such as subschemaSubentry).
The output of slapcat is intended to be used as input to slapadd(8).
The output of slapcat cannot generally be used as input to ldapadd(1) or
other LDAP clients without first editing the output. This editing would
normally include reordering the records into superior first order and
removing no-user-modification operational attributes.
OPTIONS
-a filter
Only dump entries matching the asserted filter. For example
slapcat -a \
"(!(entryDN:dnSubtreeMatch:=ou=People,dc=example,dc=com))"
will dump all but the "ou=People,dc=example,dc=com" subtree of
the "dc=example,dc=com" database. Deprecated; use -H
ldap:///???(filter) instead.
-b suffix
Use the specified suffix to determine which database to generate
output for. By default, the first database that supports the re-
quested operation is used. The -b cannot be used in conjunction
with the -n option.
-c Enable continue (ignore errors) mode. Multiple occurrences of -c
make slapcat(8) try harder.
-d debug-level
Enable debugging messages as defined by the specified debug-
level; see slapd(8) for details.
-f slapd.conf
Specify an alternative slapd.conf(5) file.
-F confdir
specify a config directory. If both -f and -F are specified, the
config file will be read and converted to config directory format
and written to the specified directory. If neither option is
specified, an attempt to read the default config directory will
be made before trying to use the default config file. If a valid
config directory exists then the default config file is ignored.
-g disable subordinate gluing. Only the specified database will be
processed, and not its glued subordinates (if any).
-H URI
use dn, scope and filter from URI to only handle matching en-
tries.
-l ldif-file
Write LDIF to specified file instead of standard output.
-n dbnum
Generate output for the dbnum-th database listed in the configu-
ration file. The config database slapd-config(5), is always the
first database, so use -n 0 to select it.
The -n cannot be used in conjunction with the -b option.
-o option[=value]
Specify an option with a(n optional) value. Possible generic op-
tions/values are:
syslog=<subsystems> (see `-s' in slapd(8))
syslog-level=<level> (see `-S' in slapd(8))
syslog-user=<user> (see `-l' in slapd(8))
ldif_wrap={no|<n>}
n is the number of columns allowed for the LDIF output
(n equal to 0 uses the default, corresponding to 78).
The minimum is 2, leaving space for one character and one
continuation character.
Use no for no wrap.
-s subtree-dn
Only dump entries in the subtree specified by this DN.
Implies -b subtree-dn if no
-b
or
-n
option is given.
Deprecated; use -H ldap:///subtree-dn instead.
-v Enable verbose mode.
LIMITATIONS
For some backend types, your slapd(8) should not be running (at least,
not in read-write mode) when you do this to ensure consistency of the
database. It is always safe to run slapcat with the slapd-mdb(5), and
slapd-null(5) backends.
EXAMPLES
To make a text backup of your SLAPD database and put it in a file called
ldif, give the command:
/usr/sbin/slapcat -l ldif
SEE ALSO
ldap(3), ldif(5), slapadd(8), ldapadd(1), slapd(8)
"OpenLDAP Administrator's Guide" (http://www.OpenLDAP.org/doc/admin/)
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
OpenLDAP Software is developed and maintained by The OpenLDAP Project
<http://www.openldap.org/>. OpenLDAP Software is derived from the Uni-
versity of Michigan LDAP 3.3 Release.
OpenLDAP 2.6.10+dfsg-1 2025/05/22 SLAPCAT(8)
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