---
name: "ldbmcat"
section: "8"
platform: "linux"
package: "openldapd"
version: "1:1.2.12-1"
release: "Debian 2.2 (Potato)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/ldbmcat"
---

# ldbmcat(8)

LDBM to LDIF database format conversion utility

## NAME

ldbmcat - LDBM to LDIF database format conversion utility

## SYNOPSIS

**/usr/sbin/ldbmcat \[-n\] id2entry-file**

## DESCRIPTION

This program is used to convert a [**slapd**(8)](/slapd/8.md) LDBM database to the text LDAP Directory Interchange Format (LDIF). It opens the given *id2entry-file* and writes the corresponding LDIF output to standard output.

See "The SLAPD and SLURPD Administrator's Guide" for more details on using this program.

## OPTIONS

- **-n**

  This option specifies that **ldbmcat** should not print entry IDs when it dumps out the database. Note that the printing of entry IDs is essential if you are going to use the LDIF format produced as input to **ldif2index,** for example, to create a new index file for use with an existing database.

## EXAMPLES

To make a text backup of your LDBM database and put it in a file called **ldif**, give the command:

```
	/usr/sbin/ldbmcat -n id2entry.dbb > ldif
```

To create a new index for the **mail** attribute, give these commands:

```
	/usr/sbin/ldbmcat id2entry.dbb > ldif
	/usr/sbin/ldif2index -i ldif -f slapd-config-file mail
```

Note that your **slapd (8)** should not be running (at least, not in read-write mode) when you do this to ensure consistency of the database.

## SEE ALSO

[**ldap**(3)](/ldap/3.md), [**ldif**(5)](/ldif/5.md), [**ldif2ldbm**(8)](/ldif2ldbm/8.md), [**slapd**(8)](/slapd/8.md)

"The SLAPD and SLURPD Administrator's Guide"

## ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

**OpenLDAP** is developed and maintained by The OpenLDAP Project (http://www.openldap.org/). **OpenLDAP** is derived from University of Michigan LDAP 3.3 Release.