---
name: "slapd-passwd"
section: "5"
platform: "linux"
package: "openldap"
version: "2.7.2-2"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux", "macos"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/slapd-passwd"
---

# slapd-passwd(5)

/etc/passwd backend to slapd

## NAME

slapd-passwd - /etc/passwd backend to slapd

## SYNOPSIS

/etc/openldap/slapd.conf

## DESCRIPTION

The PASSWD backend to [**slapd**(8)](/slapd/8.md) serves up the user account information listed in the system [**passwd**(5)](/passwd/5.md) file.  This backend is provided for demonstration purposes only. The DN of each entry is "uid=\<username\>,\<suffix\>". Note that non-base searches scan the entire passwd file, and are best suited for hosts with small passwd files.

## CONFIGURATION

This **slapd.conf** option applies to the PASSWD backend database. That is, it must follow a "database passwd" line and come before any subsequent "backend" or "database" lines. Other database options are described in the [**slapd.conf**(5)](/slapd.conf/5.md) manual page.

- **file \<filename\>**

  Specifies an alternate passwd file to use. The default is **/etc/passwd**.

## ACCESS CONTROL

The **passwd** backend does not honor any of the access control semantics described in [**slapd.access**(5)](/slapd.access/5.md). Only **read (=r)** access to the **entry** pseudo-attribute and to the other attribute values of the entries returned by the **search** operation is honored, which is performed by the frontend.

## FILES

- /etc/openldap/slapd.conf

  default slapd configuration file

- /etc/passwd

  user account information

## SEE ALSO

[**slapd.conf**(5)](/slapd.conf/5.md), [**slapd**(8)](/slapd/8.md), [**passwd**(5)](/passwd/5.md).