-.TH SLAPD-SHELL 5 "25 April 2002" "OpenLDAP LDVERSION"
-.\" Copyright 1998-2002 The OpenLDAP Foundation All Rights Reserved.
+.TH SLAPD-SHELL 5 "RELEASEDATE" "OpenLDAP LDVERSION"
+.\" Copyright 1998-2004 The OpenLDAP Foundation All Rights Reserved.
.\" Copying restrictions apply. See COPYRIGHT/LICENSE.
.\" $OpenLDAP$
.SH NAME
make it easy to tie an existing database to the
.B slapd
front-end.
-.SH CONFIGURATION
+.LP
+This backend is is primarily intended to be used in prototypes.
+.SH WARNING
The
-.BR slapd.conf (5)
-options in this category apply to the SHELL backend database.
+.B abandon
+shell command has been removed since OpenLDAP 2.1.
+.SH CONFIGURATION
+These
+.B slapd.conf
+options apply to the SHELL backend database.
That is, they must follow a "database shell" line and come before any
subsequent "backend" or "database" lines.
+Other database options are described in the
+.BR slapd.conf (5)
+manual page.
.LP
-These options specify the pathname of the command to execute in response
-to the given LDAP operation.
-Note that you need only supply configuration lines for those commands you
-want the backend to handle.
-Operations for which a command is not supplied will be refused with an
-"unwilling to perform" error.
-.TP
-.B bind <pathname>
+These options specify the pathname and arguments of the program to
+execute in response to the given LDAP operation.
+Each option is followed by the input lines that the program receives:
.TP
-.B unbind <pathname>
+.B add <pathname> <argument>...
+.nf
+ADD
+msgid: <message id>
+<repeat { "suffix:" <database suffix DN> }>
+<entry in LDIF format>
+.fi
.TP
-.B search <pathname>
+.B bind <pathname> <argument>...
+.nf
+BIND
+msgid: <message id>
+<repeat { "suffix:" <database suffix DN> }>
+dn: <DN>
+method: <method number>
+credlen: <length of <credentials>>
+cred: <credentials>
+.fi
.TP
-.B compare <pathname>
+.B compare <pathname> <argument>...
+.nf
+COMPARE
+msgid: <message id>
+<repeat { "suffix:" <database suffix DN> }>
+dn: <DN>
+<attribute>: <value>
+.fi
.TP
-.B modify <pathname>
+.B delete <pathname> <argument>...
+.nf
+DELETE
+msgid: <message id>
+<repeat { "suffix:" <database suffix DN> }>
+dn: <DN>
+.fi
.TP
-.B modrdn <pathname>
+.B modify <pathname> <argument>...
+.nf
+MODIFY
+msgid: <message id>
+<repeat { "suffix:" <database suffix DN> }>
+dn: <DN>
+<repeat {
+ <"add"/"delete"/"replace">: <attribute>
+ <repeat { <attribute>: <value> }>
+ -
+}>
+.fi
.TP
-.B add <pathname>
+.B modrdn <pathname> <argument>...
+.nf
+MODRDN
+msgid: <message id>
+<repeat { "suffix:" <database suffix DN> }>
+dn: <DN>
+newrdn: <new RDN>
+deleteoldrdn: <0 or 1>
+<if new superior is specified: "newSuperior: <DN>">
+.fi
.TP
-.B delete <pathname>
+.B search <pathname> <argument>...
+.nf
+SEARCH
+msgid: <message id>
+<repeat { "suffix:" <database suffix DN> }>
+base: <base DN>
+scope: <0-2, see ldap.h>
+deref: <0-3, see ldap.h>
+sizelimit: <size limit>
+timelimit: <time limit>
+filter: <filter>
+attrsonly: <0 or 1>
+attrs: <"all" or space-separated attribute list>
+.fi
.TP
-.B abandon <pathname>
+.B unbind <pathname> <argument>...
+.nf
+UNBIND
+msgid: <message id>
+<repeat { "suffix:" <database suffix DN> }>
+dn: <bound DN>
+.fi
+.LP
+Note that you need only supply configuration lines for those commands you
+want the backend to handle.
+Operations for which a command is not supplied will be refused with an
+"unwilling to perform" error.
+.LP
+The commands - except \fBunbind\fP - should output:
+.RS
+.nf
+RESULT
+code: <integer>
+matched: <matched DN>
+info: <text>
+.fi
+.RE
+where only RESULT is mandatory.
+The \fBsearch\fP RESULT should be preceded by the entries in LDIF
+format, each entry followed by a blank line.
+Lines starting with `#' or `DEBUG:' are ignored.
.SH EXAMPLE
-There is a skeleton search script in the slapd/back-shell/ directory
+There is an example search script in the slapd/back-shell/ directory
in the OpenLDAP source tree.
+.SH LIMITATIONS
+The shell backend does not support threaded environments.
+When using the shell backend,
+.BR slapd (8)
+should be built
+.IR --without-threads .
+.SH FILES
+.TP
+ETCDIR/slapd.conf
+default slapd configuration file
.SH SEE ALSO
.BR slapd.conf (5),
.BR slapd (8),