Netbox LDAP authentication class error - "LDAPbackend" attribute/class

[berkeleycowboy]

Receiving the following error accessing the Netbox server after configuring configuration.py and ldap_config.py

 <class 'ImportError'>

 Module "netbox.authentication" does not define a "LDAPbackend" attribute/class

configuration.py:

  REMOTE_AUTH_ENABLED = True
  REMOTE_AUTH_BACKEND = 'netbox.authentication.LDAPbackend'

Installation of the django-auth-ldap was successful. Is there a particular folder the installation should be performed in ?

[root@scdl-ifipam-001 netbox]# pwd
/opt/netbox/netbox
[root@scdl-ifipam-001 netbox]# source /opt/netbox/venv/bin/activate
(venv) [root@scdl-ifipam-001 netbox]# pip3 install django-auth-ldap
Requirement already satisfied: django-auth-ldap in /opt/netbox-3.5.8/venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages (4.6.0)
Requirement already satisfied: Django>=3.2 in /opt/netbox-3.5.8/venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages (from django-auth-ldap) (4.1.10)
Requirement already satisfied: python-ldap>=3.1 in /opt/netbox-3.5.8/venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages (from django-auth-ldap) (3.4.3)
Requirement already satisfied: asgiref<4,>=3.5.2 in /opt/netbox-3.5.8/venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages (from Django>=3.2->django-auth-ldap) (3.7.2)
Requirement already satisfied: sqlparse>=0.2.2 in /opt/netbox-3.5.8/venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages (from Django>=3.2->django-auth-ldap) (0.4.4)
Requirement already satisfied: pyasn1>=0.3.7 in /opt/netbox-3.5.8/venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages (from python-ldap>=3.1->django-auth-ldap) (0.5.0)
Requirement already satisfied: pyasn1-modules>=0.1.5 in /opt/netbox-3.5.8/venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages (from python-ldap>=3.1->django-auth-ldap) (0.3.0)
Requirement already satisfied: typing-extensions>=4 in /opt/netbox-3.5.8/venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages (from asgiref<4,>=3.5.2->Django>=3.2->django-auth-ldap) (4.7.1)

[notice] A new release of pip is available: 23.2.1 -> 23.3
[notice] To update, run: pip install --upgrade pip

[candlerb]

netbox.authentication.LDAPbackend is not the same as netbox.authentication.LDAPBackend (capital 'B' required)

[berkeleycowboy]

Thank you. Forgot about Linux capitalization.

Still no joy. Now complaining about "No module named 'django_auth_ldap.backend'"

Netbox Web interface output with debugging enabled:

ModuleNotFoundError at _.pdf

Do the OpenLDAP libraries need to be installed ? This document indicates they are required.

https://django-auth-ldap.readthedocs.io/en/latest/install.html

This site provides a method for Installing python-ldap. Does anybody have any experience installing this in the virtual environment.

https://www.python-ldap.org/en/python-ldap-3.3.0/installing.html

[berkeleycowboy]

The Exception Location references /opt/netbox/netbox/netbox/authentication.py, line 319, in new
Code Fragment:
315 class LDAPBackend:
316
317 def new(cls, *args, **kwargs):
318 try:
319 from django_auth_ldap.backend import LDAPSettings
320 import ldap
321 except ModuleNotFoundError as e:
322 if getattr(e, 'name') == 'django_auth_ldap':
323 raise ImproperlyConfigured(
324 "LDAP authentication has been configured, but django-auth-ldap is not installed."
325 )

The following command returns the following:
(venv) [root@scdl-ifipam-001 django_auth_ldap]# egrep "^class" -n /opt/netbox/netbox/netbox/authentication.py /opt/netbox-3.5.8/venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages/django_auth_ldap/backend.py
/opt/netbox/netbox/netbox/authentication.py:63:class ObjectPermissionMixin:
/opt/netbox/netbox/netbox/authentication.py:138:class ObjectPermissionBackend(ObjectPermissionMixin, ModelBackend):
/opt/netbox/netbox/netbox/authentication.py:142:class RemoteUserBackend(_RemoteUserBackend):
/opt/netbox/netbox/netbox/authentication.py:315:class LDAPBackend:
/opt/netbox-3.5.8/venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages/django_auth_ldap/backend.py:81:class LDAPBackend:
/opt/netbox-3.5.8/venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages/django_auth_ldap/backend.py:247:class _LDAPUser:
/opt/netbox-3.5.8/venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages/django_auth_ldap/backend.py:866:class _LDAPUserGroups:

Why is LDAPBackend defined in both files ?
/opt/netbox/netbox/netbox/authentication.py
/opt/netbox-3.5.8/venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages/django_auth_ldap/backend.py

Code Fragment of /opt/netbox/netbox/netbox/authentication.py
315 class LDAPBackend:
316
317 def new(cls, *args, **kwargs):
318 try:
319 from django_auth_ldap.backend import LDAPSettings
320 import ldap
321 except ModuleNotFoundError as e:
322 if getattr(e, 'name') == 'django_auth_ldap':
323 raise ImproperlyConfigured(
324 "LDAP authentication has been configured, but django-auth-ldap is not installed."
325 )
326 raise e
327

Code Fragment of /opt/netbox-3.5.8/venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages/django_auth_ldap/backend.py
81 class LDAPBackend:
82 """
83 The main backend class. This implements the auth backend API, although it
84 actually delegates most of its work to _LDAPUser, which is defined next.
85 """
86
87 supports_anonymous_user = False
88 supports_object_permissions = True
89 supports_inactive_user = False
90
91 _settings = None
92 _ldap = None # The cached ldap module (or mock object)
93

[abhi1693]

You need to install django-auth-ldap

[berkeleycowboy]

Thanks for the reply.

Yes, django-auth-ldap has successfully been installed in the Python virtual environment.

(venv) [root@scdl-ifipam-001 site-packages]# pip3 install django-auth-ldap
Requirement already satisfied: django-auth-ldap in /opt/netbox-3.5.8/venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages (4.6.0)
Requirement already satisfied: Django>=3.2 in /opt/netbox-3.5.8/venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages (from django-auth-ldap) (4.1.10)
Requirement already satisfied: python-ldap>=3.1 in /opt/netbox-3.5.8/venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages (from django-auth-ldap) (3.4.3)
Requirement already satisfied: asgiref<4,>=3.5.2 in /opt/netbox-3.5.8/venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages (from Django>=3.2->django-auth-ldap) (3.7.2)
Requirement already satisfied: sqlparse>=0.2.2 in /opt/netbox-3.5.8/venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages (from Django>=3.2->django-auth-ldap) (0.4.4)
Requirement already satisfied: pyasn1>=0.3.7 in /opt/netbox-3.5.8/venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages (from python-ldap>=3.1->django-auth-ldap) (0.5.0)
Requirement already satisfied: pyasn1-modules>=0.1.5 in /opt/netbox-3.5.8/venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages (from python-ldap>=3.1->django-auth-ldap) (0.3.0)
Requirement already satisfied: typing-extensions>=4 in /opt/netbox-3.5.8/venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages (from asgiref<4,>=3.5.2->Django>=3.2->django-auth-ldap) (4.7.1)

Defined Classes in authentication.py and backend.py :

(venv) [root@scdl-ifipam-001 site-packages]# egrep "^class" -n /opt/netbox/netbox/netbox/authentication.py
63:class ObjectPermissionMixin:
138:class ObjectPermissionBackend(ObjectPermissionMixin, ModelBackend):
142:class RemoteUserBackend(_RemoteUserBackend):
315:class LDAPBackend:

(venv) [root@scdl-ifipam-001 site-packages]# egrep "^class" -n /opt/netbox-3.5.8/venv/lib/python3.9/site-packages/django_auth_ldap/backend.py
81:class LDAPBackend:
247:class _LDAPUser:
866:class _LDAPUserGroups:

Other steps that have been confirmed:

1. https://django-auth-ldap.readthedocs.io/en/latest/
2. https://www.openldap.org/ => confirmed openldap-2.4 has been installed

This is the offending command that's reported when debugging is enabled:

319 from django_auth_ldap.backend import LDAPSettings

django_auth_ldap.backend appears to be defined but where is LDAPSettings defined ?

debugging information:

ModuleNotFoundError.at._.pdf

Server Components:
REHL 8.8
Netbox Version 3.5.8
Python Version: 3.9
PostgresSQL version: 15.3
Redis: 5.0.3
django-auth-ldap==4.6.0 ; from server PIP freeze in Pyton virtual Environment.

Have compared the Pip freeze versions on the Netbox server to what is published
pip freeze compare.pdf

Thanks in advance for any troubleshooting or guidance.

[t0ta11ed]

I'm seeing this missing module error as well on a fresh Netbox install. The module was installed in the virtual environment but returns the error in the browser

No module named django_auth_ldap.backend

Python 3.10 and NetBox v 3.6.6

[berkeleycowboy]

Thank you t0ta11ed for your reply.

Validates that I'm followed the recipe correctly.

[berkeleycowboy]

I've been trying to get Netbox running Redhat for approximately a year. Have not been able to get Secure LDAP working.

I have heard that Netbox Binary images is a posibility.

Where can I find this a binary netbox image ?

[DanSheps]

There are no binary images. NetBox is 100% a python application, and hence no binary (other then Python).

I am not sure what problems you are having with secure LDAP, but you could always post your config (sanitized of course) and people could try and help you.

Other options include:

• NetBox Cloud (Cloud offering by NetBox Labs) w/ SSO (Azure AD, Okta, etc)
• SSO configuration instead of LDAP (I personally have moved to an "OpenID Connect" (Duo actually) based SSO)
• You could also hire someone (there are likely a few people who would be able to assist you both here and in slack)

[candlerb]

There is also the docker image. However, you still need to tailor it for LDAP or other special requirements.

[DanSheps]

Yes, sorry, absolutely correct, there definitely is a docker image

[jcollie]

Other than configuration, the Docker image doesn't need anything special for LDAP. Installing Python apps "from scratch" can be very tricky to get all of the dependencies right. It's definitely the way to go to eliminate installation problems related to Python and related libraries.