Adding LDAP access

The LDAP protocol was created to let users share contact information over a network by sharing access to a central directory. LDAP allows a company to maintain a shared set of contact information. Many companies keep a common LDAP address book for all their employees or for client contacts.

Adding an LDAP address book

  1. Click File ▸ New ▸ Address Book.

  2. In the Type field, select On LDAP Servers.

  3. Enter a name that you prefer.

  4. In the Connecting to LDAP tab:

    • Enter the address of the server, the port number (the default number is 389) and whether you want to connect securely.

    • Define the login method and your username.

  5. In the Using LDAP tab you define the following settings:

    • Search Base: The search base is the starting point for a directory search. Contact your system administrator for information about the correct settings.

    • Search Scope: The search scope is the breadth of a given search.

      The following options are available:

      • One Level: Searches one entry below the Search Base.

      • Subtree: Searches the Search Base and all entries below it.

    • Search Filter: The search filter can be set here for all the LDAP queries. For example:

      • ObjectClass=*: Lists all the objects from the server.

      • ObjectClass=User: Lists only the users.

      • Filter (|(ObjectClass=User)(ObjectClass=groupOfNames)): Retrieves the User and Contact List objects.

      • (&(mail=*)(ObjectClass=*)): Lists the objects associated with the email addresses.

    • Download Limit: The maximum number of results for a given search. Most servers refuse to send more than 500 contacts, but you can set the number lower if you want to shorten downloads for very broad searches. This option is ignored, if Copy book content locally for offline operation is checked.

  6. Click OK.

If you are unsure about some settings, ask your system administrator.

Differences to local address books

LDAP address books work like local address books on your computer, with the following exceptions:

  • 网络文件夹仅当您连上网络之后才能操作。如果您使用的是笔记本电脑或使用调制解调器连接，可能想要复制或缓冲网络文件夹的一部分内容。您可以将里面需要的联系人条目拖拽到本地地址簿里。

  • You can also mark the network folder for offline usage. To mark the folder, right-click the folder, click Properties and select Copy folder content locally for offline operation.

  • To prevent excess network traffic, Evolution does not normally load data from the LDAP server upon opening.

  • Depending on your server settings, you might not be able to edit all the fields in a contact stored on an LDAP server. Some servers prohibit some or all changes, and others use a smaller set of fields than Evolution allows. Check with your system administrator if you need different settings.