lldap/README.md

<h1 align="center">lldap - Light LDAP implementation for authentication</h1>

<p align="center">
<i style="font-size:24px">LDAP made easy.</i>
</p>

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 - [About](#About)
 - [Installation](#Installation)
   - [With Docker](#With-Docker)
   - [From source](#From-source)
   - [Cross-compilation](#Cross-compilation)
 - [Client configuration](#Client-configuration)
   - [Compatible services](#compatible-services)
   - [General configuration guide](#general-configuration-guide)
   - [Sample cient configurations](#Sample-client-configurations)
 - [Comparisons with other services](#Comparisons-with-other-services)
   - [vs OpenLDAP](#vs-openldap)
   - [vs FreeIPA](#vs-freeipa)
 - [I can't log in!](#i-cant-log-in)
 - [Contributions](#Contributions)

## About

This project is a lightweight authentication server that provides an
opinionated, simplified LDAP interface for authentication. It integrates with
many backends, from KeyCloak to Authelia to Nextcloud and
[more](#compatible-services)!

<img
  src="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nitnelave/lldap/master/screenshot.png"
  alt="Screenshot of the user list page"
  width="50%"
  align="right"
/>

The goal is _not_ to provide a full LDAP server; if you're interested in that,
check out OpenLDAP. This server is a user management system that is:
* simple to setup (no messing around with `slapd`),
* simple to manage (friendly web UI),
* low resources,
* opinionated with basic defaults so you don't have to understand the
  subtleties of LDAP.

It mostly targets self-hosting servers, with open-source components like
Nextcloud, Airsonic and so on that only support LDAP as a source of external
authentication.

For more features (OAuth/OpenID support, reverse proxy, ...) you can install
other components (KeyCloak, Authelia, ...) using this server as the source of
truth for users, via LDAP.

## Installation

### With Docker

The image is available at `nitnelave/lldap`. You should persist the `/data`
folder, which contains your configuration, the database and the private key
file (unless you move them in the config).

Configure the server by copying the `lldap_config.docker_template.toml` to
`/data/lldap_config.toml` and updating the configuration values (especially the
`jwt_secret` and `ldap_user_pass`, unless you override them with env variables).
Environment variables should be prefixed with `LLDAP_` to override the
configuration.

Secrets can also be set through a file. The filename should be specified by the
variables `LLDAP_JWT_SECRET_FILE` or `LLDAP_LDAP_USER_PASS_FILE`, and the file
contents are loaded into the respective configuration parameters. Note that
`_FILE` variables take precedence.

Example for docker compose:

```yaml
volumes:
  lldap_data:
    driver: local

services:
  lldap:
    image: nitnelave/lldap:stable
    # Change this to the user:group you want.
    user: "33:33"
    ports:
      # For LDAP
      - "3890:3890"
      # For the web front-end
      - "17170:17170"
    volumes:
      - "lldap_data:/data"
      # Alternatively, you can mount a local folder
      # - "./lldap_data:/data"
    environment:
      - LLDAP_JWT_SECRET=REPLACE_WITH_RANDOM
      - LLDAP_LDAP_USER_PASS=REPLACE_WITH_PASSWORD
      - LLDAP_LDAP_BASE_DN=dc=example,dc=com
```

Then the service will listen on two ports, one for LDAP and one for the web
front-end.

### From source

To bring up the server, you'll need to compile the frontend. In addition to
cargo, you'll need:

* WASM-pack: `cargo install wasm-pack`
* rollup.js: `npm install rollup`

Then you can build the frontend files with `./app/build.sh` (you'll need to run
this after every front-end change to update the WASM package served).

To bring up the server, just run `cargo run`. The default config is in
`src/infra/configuration.rs`, but you can override it by creating an
`lldap_config.toml`, setting environment variables or passing arguments to
`cargo run`.

### Cross-compilation

No Docker image is provided for other architectures, due to the difficulty of
setting up cross-compilation inside a Docker image.

Some pre-compiled binaries are provided for each release, starting with 0.2.

If you want to cross-compile, you can do so by installing
[`cross`](https://github.com/rust-embedded/cross):

```sh
cargo install cross
cross build --target=armv7-unknown-linux-musleabihf -p lldap --release
./app/build.sh
```

(Replace `armv7-unknown-linux-musleabihf` with the correct Rust target for your
device.)

You can then get the compiled server binary in
`target/armv7-unknown-linux-musleabihf/release/lldap` and the various needed files
(`index.html`, `main.js`, `pkg` folder) in the `app` folder. Copy them to the
Raspberry Pi (or other target), with the folder structure maintained (`app`
files in an `app` folder next to the binary).

## Client configuration

### Compatible services

Most services that can use LDAP as an authentication provider should work out
of the box. For new services, it's possible that they require a bit of tweaking
on LLDAP's side to make things work. In that case, just create an issue with
the relevant details (logs of the service, LLDAP logs with `verbose=true` in
the config).

### General configuration guide

To configure the services that will talk to LLDAP, here are the values:
  - The LDAP user DN is from the configuration. By default,
    `cn=admin,ou=people,dc=example,dc=com`.
  - The LDAP password is from the configuration (same as to log in to the web
    UI).
  - The users are all located in `ou=people,` + the base DN, so by default user
    `bob` is at `cn=bob,ou=people,dc=example,dc=com`.
  - Similarly, the groups are located in `ou=groups`, so the group `family`
    will be at `cn=family,ou=groups,dc=example,dc=com`.

Testing group membership through `memberOf` is supported, so you can have a
filter like: `(memberOf=cn=admins,ou=groups,dc=example,dc=com)`.

The administrator group for LLDAP is `lldap_admin`: anyone in this group has
admin rights in the Web UI.

### Sample client configurations

Some specific clients have been tested to work and come with sample
configuration files, or guides. See the [`example_configs`](example_configs)
folder for help with:
  - [Authelia](example_configs/authelia_config.yml)
  - [Bookstack](example_configs/bookstack.env.example)
  - [Dolibarr](example_configs/dolibarr.md)
  - [Gitea](example_configs/gitea.md)
  - [Jellyfin](example_configs/jellyfin.md)
  - [Jisti Meet](example_configs/jitsi_meet.conf)
  - [KeyCloak](example_configs/keycloak.md)
  - [Matrix](example_configs/matrix_synapse.yml)
  - [Organizr](example_configs/Organizr.md)
  - [Seafile](example_configs/seafile.md)

## Comparisons with other services

### vs OpenLDAP

OpenLDAP is a monster of a service that implements all of LDAP and all of its
extensions, plus some of its own. That said, if you need all that flexibility,
it might be what you need! Note that installation can be a bit painful
(figuring out how to use `slapd`) and people have mixed experiences following
tutorials online. If you don't configure it properly, you might end up storing
passwords in clear, so a breach of your server would reveal all the stored
passwords!

OpenLDAP doesn't come with a UI: if you want a web interface, you'll have to
install one (not that many that look nice) and configure it.

LLDAP is much simpler to setup, has a much smaller image (10x smaller, 20x if
you add PhpLdapAdmin), and comes packed with its own purpose-built wed UI.

### vs FreeIPA

FreeIPA is the one-stop shop for identity management: LDAP, Kerberos, NTP, DNS,
Samba, you name it, it has it. In addition to user management, it also does
security policies, single sign-on, certificate management, linux account
management and so on.

If you need all of that, go for it! Keep in mind that a more complex system is
more complex to maintain, though.

LLDAP is much lighter to run (<100 MB RAM including the DB), easier to
configure (no messing around with DNS or security policies) and simpler to
use. It also comes conveniently packed in a docker container.

## I can't log in!

If you just set up the server, can get to the login page but the password you
set isn't working, try the following:

  - (For docker): Make sure that the `/data` folder is persistent, either to a
   docker volume or mounted from the host filesystem.
  - Check if there is a `lldap_config.toml` file (either in `/data` for docker
    or in the current directory). If there isn't, copy
    `lldap_config.docker_template.toml` there, and fill in the various values
    (passwords, secrets, ...).
  - Check if there is a `users.db` file (either in `/data` for docker or where
    you specified the DB URL, which defaults to the current directory). If
    there isn't, check that the user running the command (user with ID 10001
    for docker) has the rights to write to the `/data` folder. If in doubt, you
    can `chmod 777 /data` (or whatever the folder) to make it world-writeable.
  - Make sure you restart the server.
  - If it's still not working, join the
    [Discord server](https://discord.gg/h5PEdRMNyP) to ask for help.

## Contributions

Contributions are welcome! Just fork and open a PR. Or just file a bug.

We don't have a code of conduct, just be respectful and remember that it's just
normal people doing this for free on their free time.

Make sure that you run `cargo fmt` from the root before creating the PR. And if
you change the GraphQL interface, you'll need to regenerate the schema by
running `./export_schema.sh`.

Join our [Discord server](https://discord.gg/h5PEdRMNyP) if you have any
questions!