Ubuntu Karmic authentication against Snow leopard open directory server

Question

Hi,
I'm looking for help. I've tried to configure an installation of Karmic to authenticate against our office's open directory server running on an osx snow leopard server. Currently `getent password` show all users including those from the open directory server when running the command as both root and normal users. However authentication against the open directry users fails with the following messages in the /var/log/auth.log:-
Dec 7 22:42:05 [hostname] getent: nss_ldap: failed to bind to LDAP server ldap://server.domain.com: Invalid credentials
Dec 7 22:42:05 [hostname] getent: nss_ldap: could not search LDAP server - Server is unavailable
(I've changed the hostname and ldap url)
/etc/ldap.conf has:-
base dc=server,dc=domain,dc=com
ldap_version 3
rootbinddn cn=diradmin,dc=server,dc=domain,dc=com
bind_policy soft
pam_password md5
/etc/ldap.secret is set to the password of the diradmin user and has a permission mask of 600
/etc/pam.d/common-passwd :-
password sufficient pam_ldap.so md5
password required pam_unix.so nullok obscure md5
password optional pam_smbpass.so nullok use_authtok tryfirstpass missingok
/etc/pam.d/common-auth:-
auth [success=2 default=ignore] pam_unix.so nullok_secure
auth [success=1 default=ignore] pam_ldap.so usefirstpass
auth requisite pam_deny.so
auth required pam_permit.so
/etc/pam.d/common-account:-
account [success=2 newauthtokreqd=done default=ignore] pam_unix.so
account [success=1 default=ignore] pam_ldap.so
account requisite pam_deny.so
account required pam_permit.so
/etc/pam.d/common-session
session [default=1] pam_permit.so
session requisite pam_deny.so
session required pam_permit.so
session required pam_unix.so
session optional pam_ldap.so
session optional pamckconnector.so nox11
Does anyone have any ideas where to go from here?
Message was edited by: zebardy

Answer 1

Hi
It's easy enough to 'connect' any version of OS X Server to any other version of OS X Server. Use the Join button in the Users & Groups Preferences Pane. Alternatively use the Directory Utility itself.
You seem to be misunderstanding what an Open Directory Master and Replica are? They are not what I think you think they are. They are not a 'back-up' of each other if you're providing more than the shared Directory Service.
An OD Replica maintains a read-only copy of the LDAP Database (Usernames, Passwords and Policies etc) that's stored on the OD Master and nothing more. If the Master was to go offline for any reason the Replica can be quickly promoted to a Master Role and continue to provide information for the shared directory. This assumes it has easy and quick access to the Volume storing networked home folders? The LDAP Database in that case would then become writable. Later on and whenever you've fixed the problem with the old Master it can quickly be demoted and made a Replica of the now new Master.
Although this is for 10.6 Server (it is nevertheless still applicable) everything you need to know about Master and Replica relationships is here:
http://manuals.info.apple.com/en_US/OpenDirAdmin_v10.6.pdf
Page 55 onwards.
From Page 64:
"The Open Directory master and its replicas must use the same version of Mac OS X Server. . ."
If your OD Master is also providing Mail, Calendar and Contact Services then none of these will be replicated. You will have to maintain a backup of these databases yourself using whatever method you deem fit for your needs.
HTH?
Tony