Filed under: software
Most email programs include address books that support LDAP lookups. LDAP allows you to forget email addresses and type names in the address fields of messsages, providing any matching results from the directory your server is set to query. Here at GMU, that directory is every single active GMU employee and student, making LDAP a fantastic tool for individuals who need tofrequently need to send emails to new people, but only once, and who (like me) are too lazy to bother looking up their email addresses.
To set up an LDAP directory in Thunderbird 2 , using Windows, go to Tools, Options, Select Composition, and then the Addressing tab.
In here, press the “Edit Directories…” button, and then press “Add”.
Fill in the following fields on the General Tab:
- Name: whatever you want, really, but “GMU directory” or something similar may be wise.
- Hostname: directory.gmu.edu
- Base DN: o=gmu.edu
- Port number: 389 (This should be the default.)
- Bind DN: (Leave Blank!)
- Do not check the “Use secure connection (SSL)” box.
Don’t bother changing any settings on the other tabs. Just press OK, and then press OK again to get back to the Addressing Tab.
Now, check the Directory Server: box, and select “GMU Directory” (or whatever else you called it) from the drop-down list.
That’s it! Now when you type a name in the address field, the program will automatically query the GMU directory server and return a list of individuals who match records with yours.
Other mail programs have similar cababilities, but I’m not going to explain how to use them all right now, since I’m only using Thunderbird right now.
