Problems importing from LDIF file generated with python-ldap

[Michael Ströder]

Lars Erik Kolden wrote:
> ldapmodify: modify operation type is missing at line 26, entry
> "cn=audio,ou=Group,dc=ourdc,dc=no"
> [..]
> When I look in the LDAP docs, this looks reasonable, as it states that
> you ned an "add: memberUid" statement with the changetype: modify. But
> how come it worked before? And when I try to incorporate this into the
> LDIF generator script, which uses python-ldap, it just won't work.

I don't know why it worked in the past. The LDIF generator script is 
wrong since it uses module ldif for generating entry records (provided 
by a dict) instead of providing a modification list (list type) which 
would make LDIFWriter.unparse() to generate a change record.

See __doc__ string in ldif.py:

class LDIFWriter:
[..]
   def unparse(self,dn,record):
     """
     dn
           string-representation of distinguished name
     record
           Either a dictionary holding the LDAP entry {attrtype:record}
           or a list with a modify list like for LDAPObject.modify().
     """

> relevant code looked like this:
> 
> #########
>       # add the new user to a set of default groups:
>       # audio, cdrom, floppy, plugdev, video
> 
>       entry={ 'changetype' : ['modify'],
> 	      'memberUid': [username],
>       }
>       dn='cn=audio,ou=Group,dc=ourdc,dc=no'
>       ldif_writer=ldif.LDIFWriter(newusers)
>       ldif_writer.unparse(dn,entry)

Should be:

modlist=[(ldap.MOD_ADD,'memberUid',[username])]
ldif_writer.unparse(dn,modlist)

BTW: Anyway I'd recommend to directly use a LDAP connection for this 
task, not generate LDIF and then using command-line tools. This would 
give you much better control in case of LDAP errors.

Ciao, Michael.