No Root DSE returned from OpenLDAP

I'm trying to set up an OpenLDAP server on ubuntu 9.10, which uses slapd version 2.4.18.

After initializing and populating a new hdb database, everything seems OK, but I can not get the server to return a root DSE. Running

ldapsearch -x -W -D 'cn=manager,dc=example,dc=org' \
    -b '' -s base '(objectclass=*)' +

just returns

# extended LDIF
#
# LDAPv3
# base <> with scope baseObject
# filter: (objectclass=*)
# requesting: +
#

# search result
search: 2
result: 0 Success

# numResponses: 1

My hdb database ACLs are set up as follows:

olcAccess: to attrs=userPassword,shadowLastChange
  by self write
  by anonymous auth
  by dn.base="cn=manager,dc=example,dc=org" write
  by * none
olcAccess: to dn.base=""
  by * read
olcAccess: to *
  by self write
  by dn.base="cn=manager,dc=example,dc=org" write
  by * read

From my experience this setup should have returned a valid root DSE, so if anyone could give me a clue as to what is going on...

Isn't the Root DSE supposed to be queried anonymously, before binding as a user? So you shouldn't be using -W or -D at all.

My OpenLDAP server responds to the following:

$ ldapsearch -x -b '' -s base

with

# extended LDIF
#
# LDAPv3
# base <> with scope baseObject
# filter: (objectclass=*)
# requesting: ALL
#

#
dn:
objectClass: top
objectClass: OpenLDAProotDSE

# search result
search: 2
result: 0 Success

# numResponses: 2
# numEntries: 1

This is actually filed as bug #427842 agains Ubuntu 9.10 (karmic).

To fix this, copy the following to fixRootDSE.ldif:

dn: olcDatabase={-1}frontend,cn=config
changetype: modify
add: olcAccess
olcAccess: to dn.base="" by * read
olcAccess: to dn.base="cn=subschema" by * read

And execute

sudo ldapmodify -Y EXTERNAL -H ldapi:/// -f fixRootDSE.ldif

This should give anonymous access to the root DSE.

You can get the namingContexts using ldapsearch using optional attributes (+ flag)

You need

• -s base
• -b base
• optional attributes + flag

In total,

    $ ldapsearch -x -b '' -s base +

As mentionned in this post https://superuser.com/questions/740877/how-do-i-query-the-available-base-dns-in-an-openldap-server