I note that the OpenLDAP Project is community developed. If you find the documentation lacking, please feel free to contribute documentation improvements. To get started, see <<http://www.openldap.org/faq/index.cgi?file=730>http://www.openldap.org/faq/index.cgi?file=730>.
Regards, Kurt At 03:17 AM 12/23/2005, Alain Williams wrote: >On Thu, 22 Dec 2005 21:56:26 +0100, Pierangelo Masarati <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >wrote: >> I don't know if that's part of the problem, but in your ACLs you're >> building up most, if not all, the common errors that are widely >> illustrated in slapd.access(5) and in the FAQ. Did you read (and >> understand) any of those docs before implementing your own ACLs? I note >> the OpenLDAP Project routinely gets complaints about the lack of >> documentation; when documentation is available, it appears that people >> don't really bother at reading (and understanding) it, so what really >> pays back for the effort of writing and keeping it updated? >> >> p. >> Ing. Pierangelo Masarati >> Responsabile Open Solution >> OpenLDAP Core Team > >Please take this as *constructive* criticism, it is not a flame. > >I also believe that the openldap documentation is poor. I have spent a lot of >time trying to get simple things to work, I have cursed the poor documentation >and the unintelligible diagnostics. I am someone who has spent > 30 years >working >with computers, the last 25 with many aspects of Unix, someone like me should >be >easily able to pick up openldap and work with it, but I can't, why not ? > >Summary: the documentation is too low level, the ''big picture'' and ''how to >put >it all together'' are missing. > >* I tried looking at the schemas, lots of numbers and names, no real indication > as to how to use them (either in the .schema files or elsewhere) >* I tried to look at the code: very few internal comments, whole functions >without > any at all, not even ''this function does X, takes A & B as parameters, > returns C''. > I would not let someone working for me write code like that. >* The manual pages seem to explain everything but in small pieces, complete >(non > trivial) examples are lacking. >* There is a lot of it: where do I start first ? > >The trouble with many openldap gurus is that you know it well, you cannot see >it >from the perspective of someone who is new to it. > >What is needed: more entry level examples that are complete, ie this is what >the >slapd.conf file looks like, here is a sample of data entries, here is how it is >used for mail/user_logon/... > >This needs to be written by people who *really* understand openldap otherwise >what >will be put together are examples of poor practice. > >Notes: > >* RFCs are NOT end user documentation, they are reference for when you have a >good > understanding of the topic. >* It is not fair to complain that people don't understand it, if the >documentation > is at a level that is much greater than their level of understanding. I know > several > good/competent people who have struggled with openldap and given up > frustrated, > it is not through lack of trying. >* Not everyone reads it with your eyes. > >-- >Alain Williams >Parliament Hill Computers Ltd. >Linux Consultant - Mail systems, Web sites, Networking, Programmer, IT >Lecturer. >+44 (0) 787 668 0256 http://www.phcomp.co.uk/ > >#include <std_disclaimer.h>
