The slapd.conf file consists of three types of configuration information: global, backend specific, and database specific. Global information is specified first, followed by information associated with a particular backend type, which is then followed by information associated with a particular database instance.

Global directives can be overridden in a backend and/or database directives, backend directives can be overridden by database directives.

Blank lines and comment lines beginning with a '#' character are ignored. If a line begins with white space, it is considered a continuation of the previous line (even if the previous line is a comment). The general format of slapd.conf is as follows:

# global configuration directives
<global config directives>

# backend definition
backend <typeA>
<backend-specific directives>

# first database definition & config directives
database <typeA>
<database-specific directives>

# second database definition & config directives
database <typeB>
<database-specific directives>

# second "typeA" database definition & config directives
database <typeA>
<database-specific directives>

# subsequent backend & database definitions & config directives
... 

A configuration directive may take arguments. If so, they are separated by white space. If an argument contains white space, the argument should be enclosed in double quotes "like this". If an argument contains a double quote or a backslash character `\', the character should be preceded by a backslash character `\'.

The distribution contains an example configuration file that will be installed in the /usr/local/etc/openldap directory. A number of files containing schema definitions (attribute types and object classes) are also provided in the /usr/local/etc/openldap/schema directory.