LDAP Clones patches for Moodle

This repository holds a set of patches for Moodle which allow the site administrator to have one or more LDAP authentication plugin “clones”. That is, to have several, completely independent LDAP authentication plugins at the same time, each one of them using its own settings, own scheduled tasks, etc.

Historically these patches were posted to the “Authentication forum” at moodle.org, and were scattered across several forum posts and threads. To help people find these patches without having to search the forum posts, I have created this repository to keep them all together in a single place.

Going forward, the plan is to publish the patches for new Moodle versions on this repository only. And link to this repository from the Moodle Docs LDAP authentication page.

If anybody wants to create the patches themselves, this is a brief summary of the process I follow to create and maintain them.

Beware that this process is not always 100% reliable. Depending on what Moodle version you start from, and the changes done by the developers you need to tweak things a bit here and there.

It is also a very pragmatic approach, preferring a simpler way for me to create multiple versions of the patch for any minor Moodle version over having a clear and well engineered set of branches for each minor version. That means, for example, that if you have already created one or more patch versions for Moodle X.Y.N (e.g., patch-X.Y.N-v01 and patch-X.Y.N-v02), and then create a patch version for Moodle X.Y.N+1, (e.g., patch-X.Y.N+1.v01) following the instructions below, you cannot create subsequent patch versions for Moodle X.Y.N (e.g., patch-X.Y.N-v03) following those same instructions.

In practice this is not that a big problem. Firstly, because Moodle X.Y.N+1 only gets published after all the X.Y.N weekly versions are published (and no more weekly versions will be published ever). So unless you want to create the patches for older weekly versions retroactively, the above problem will not happen.

Secondly, because even if you create the patches for the older weekly versions retroactively, the changes are usually rather minimal (unless fixing an issue in the standard LDAP plugin requires extensive changes, which is not usually the case). So porting those changes directly to the ldapname.diff file by hand and publishing them as a new patch version should be fairly straightforward. That avoids having to maintain independent git branches for each minor version and simplifies the workflow for me.

License for the files in this repository

It goes without saying that all of the patches files (ldapname.diff) have the same license as the original files (they are a derivative work of the original Moodle files).

For the only two files that I created myself, ldapname.php uses Moodle code to perform some of its work, so it is also a derivative work of Moodle, and thus under the same license as Moodle as well. The ldapname-README.txt files are the only original work from me, and I hereby place them under the GPL version 3.0 or later.

Initial patch creation for a given Moodle major version

Make sure you are in the directory which holds the git repository for the major Moodle version you want to create the patch for (e.g, 4.3, 4.4, etc.).

Once there, make sure it is up to date:

git checkout master
git pull origin

Checkout the tag for the major version that you want to create the patch for. For the initial patch creation, the last digit of the git (“minor” level) tag will always be zero. E.g., assuming you want to create the patch for the (initial) 4.4 major version (that is, 4.4.0):
```
export MAJOR_FIRST="4"
export MAJOR_SECOND="4"
export MINOR="0"
export PATCH_VERSION="01"
git checkout "v${MAJOR_FIRST}.${MAJOR_SECOND}.${MINOR}"
    
```
Create a branch where you will develop the patches for all the “steps” (minor version + patch version number within minor version) of the major version. You will use a single branch for that, as they will be cumulative.
```
git checkout -b "ldap-clones-patch-script-${MAJOR_FIRST}.${MAJOR_SECOND}"
    
```

Tag the base for this patch version, pointing to the tag for the Moodle version you are creating the patch for:

git tag "tag-ldap-clones-patch-script-${MAJOR_FIRST}.${MAJOR_SECOND}.${MINOR}-v${PATCH_VERSION}-base" "v${MAJOR_FIRST}.${MAJOR_SECOND}.${MINOR}"

Copy the auth/ldap plugin to a folder called auth/%%LDAPNAME%%, and patch the hell out of that directory to get the initial %%LDAPNAME%% authentication plugin. For this you will need to replace any occurrence of the LDAP plugin name with %%LDAPNAME%%, both in the plugin name, the class names used by the plugin, some of the file names (e.g., the language files, but other too), any references to the plugin name (e.g., when dealing with language strings, or when building URLs containing the plugin name, etc). In general is a very tedious work, because you need to review every single file of the plugin, and check all of the code in those files.
Probably the faster way is to copy the auth/%%LDAPNAME%% directory from a previous Moodle version (but do not copy anything just yet, see next step below before manually copying anything :-)). That directory would probably only be available in the ldap-clones-patch-script-Z.W branch of that version (where Z.W is a previous version of the patch, not the one you are trying to create).

If you decide to go this route, the safest bet is to use the Z.W.0-v01 version of the patch (even if it is a bit more work). The reason is that later versions in the Z.W branch may have been created after the next major Moodle version already existed, and may contain conflicting changes.
You also need to create a diff file with the changes in the auth/ldap directory between the version of Moodle that was used for the previous auth/%%LDAPNAME%% patch (e.g., Z.W) and the current version you are working with.
Something like the commands below should help you get both a starting copy of the %%LDAPAUTH%% plugin and the diff file with the changes between major version in the standard LDAP plugin.

moodle-Z.W is the previous version that already has the LDAP Clones patch, while vNN is the version of the patch that you want to use as the basis for the initial work, and moodle-${MAJOR_FIRST}.${MAJOR_SECOND} is the newer version for which you want to create the patch. path/to/moodle-Z.W and path/to/moodle-${MAJOR_FIRST}.${MAJOR_SECOND}/auth/ are the directories of the git repositories for those two versions respectively.

As commented before, using patch version v01 with the previous initial major version (e.g., Z.W.0-v01) is probably the safest best:
```
cd path/to/moodle-Z.W
sha1patch=$(git rev-parse 'tag-ldap-clones-patch-script-Z.W.0-vNN')
sha1base=$(git rev-parse 'tag-ldap-clones-patch-script-Z.W.0-vNN-base')
git checkout "${sha1patch}"
cp -a 'auth/%%LDAPNAME%%' "path/to/moodle-${MAJOR_FIRST}.${MAJOR_SECOND}/auth/"
git checkout master
cd "path/to/moodle-${MAJOR_FIRST}.${MAJOR_SECOND}"
git checkout "ldap-clones-patch-script-${MAJOR_FIRST}.${MAJOR_SECOND}"
git diff "${sha1base}"..HEAD -- auth/ldap > "auth-ldap-moodle-Z.W-to-moodle-${MAJOR_FIRST}.${MAJOR_SECOND}.diff"
    
```
The auth-ldap-moodle-Z.W-to-moodle-${MAJOR_FIRST}.${MAJOR_SECOND}.diff file will contain the changes done to the standard auth/ldap plugin since that previous Z.W.0 version, until the version you are trying to create the patch for. You just need to apply them by hand to the auth/%%LDAPNAME%% plugin, taking care of replacing any references to ldap with %%LDAPNAME%% where appropriate (this can be especially tricky in the language files).

A slightly different alternative (that I use myself) is to directly edit the auth-ldap-moodle-Z.W-to-moodle-${MAJOR_FIRST}.${MAJOR_SECOND}.diff. doing all the ldap to %%LDAPNAME%% changes in that file (including the paths that appear in each of the patch hunk headers). And then try to apply the patch with the modified file.

I use the --dry-run option and see if it applies cleanly or not, and where it fails. If it does not apply cleanly, I fix the patch file until it does. And then apply the patch file without the --dry-run option, to actually apply it.

Once the patch applies cleanly, remove any existing .rej or .orig files in auth/%%LDAPNAME%% directory (if there are any, as using --dry-run will not create such files).
Add auth/%%LDAPNAME%% directory to the git staging area:
```
git add 'auth/%%LDAPNAME%%'
    
```

Copy the ldapname.php and ldapname-README.txt files from an existing patch, and create the ldapname.diff file needed by the ldapname.php script. Use it to create a clone of the plugin (called ldap9999 in the example below):

cp path/to/existing/phpldapname.php .
git diff --cached "tag-ldap-clones-patch-script-${MAJOR_FIRST}.${MAJOR_SECOND}.${MINOR}-v${PATCH_VERSION}-base" > ldapname.diff
# Remove any existing ldap9999 plugin that may exist from previous attempts.
rm -rf auth/ldap9999
php ldapname.php ldap9999

Test the cloned plugin. Enable developer debug level, install the cloned plugin and configure it. Make sure there are no errors in the PHP error logs. Test the plugin by logging in, executethe CLI script for synchronising users, test the NTLM SSO login (if you use that feature), enable and test the scheduled tasks, etc. Make sure everything works as expected with no errors in the PHP log. Also, run the cloned plugin unit tests.
If you do any changes in the auth/%%LDAPNAME%% directory to fix any errors, go back to step 8 and continue from there.

Once everything is Ok, commit the changes and tag the new patch version. Make sure you only commit the files under the auth/%%LDAP%% directory!:

export AUTHOR_NAME="Iñaki Arenaza"
export AUTHOR_EMAIL="iarenaza@escomposlinux.org"
git add 'auth/%%LDAPNAME%%'
git commit -m "[v${MAJOR_FIRST}.${MAJOR_SECOND}.${MINOR}] Add support for multiple clones of LDAP auth plugin

Signed-off-by: ${AUTHOR_NAME} <${AUTHOR_EMAIL}>"
git tag "tag-ldap-clones-patch-script-${MAJOR_FIRST}.${MAJOR_SECOND}.${MINOR}-v${PATCH_VERSION}" HEAD

Update the ldapname.php script if needed (this is rarely needed).

Create the .zip file with ldapname.php, ldapname.diff and ldapname-README.txt files and upload it to the git repository:

zip ldap-clones-patch-script-${MAJOR_FIRST}.${MAJOR_SECOND}.${MINOR}-v${PATCH_VERSION}.zip ldapname-README.txt ldapname.php ldapname.diff

Checkout the master branch
```
git checkout master
    
```

Subsequent patch versions for the same major Moodle version.

Depending on whether you are creating the first version of the patch for a new minor version, or a subsequent version of the pach for an existing minor version, you need to perform two slightly different set of steps. But those two sets share the same final steps. So the sections below describe the initial specific steps for each case, plus the shared final steps.

Initial steps for creating the first version of the patch for a NEW minor version

Make sure you are in the directory which holds the git repository for the major Moodle version you want to create the patch for (e.g, 4.3, 4.4, etc.), where X.Y is the Moodle MAJOR_FIRST version in question.
```
cd path/to/moodle-X.Y
    
```

Once there, make sure it is up to date:

git checkout master
git pull origin

Checkout the tag for the new minor version you are creating the patch for, and set PATCH_VERSION to 01:

export MAJOR_FIRST="4"
export MAJOR_SECOND="4"
export NEW_MINOR="1"
export PATCH_VERSION="01"
git checkout "v${MAJOR_FIRST}.${MAJOR_SECOND}.${NEW_MINOR}"

Tag the base for this patch version, pointing to the tag for the Moodle version you are creating the patch for:

git tag "tag-ldap-clones-patch-script-${MAJOR_FIRST}.${MAJOR_SECOND}.${NEW_MINOR}-v${PATCH_VERSION}-base" "v${MAJOR_FIRST}.${MAJOR_SECOND}.${NEW_MINOR}"

Calculate the changes in the standard LDAP plugin since the base of the previous minor version. The previous patch version will always be 01 in this case:

PREV_MINOR="3"
PREVIOUS_PATCH_VERSION="01"
git diff "tag-ldap-clones-patch-script-${MAJOR_FIRST}.${MAJOR_SECOND}.${PREV_MINOR}-v${PREVIOUS_PATCH_VERSION}-base" -- auth/ldap/ > "auth-ldap-diff-from-${MAJOR_FIRST}.${MAJOR_SECOND}.${PREV_MINOR}-v${PREVIOUS_PATCH_VERSION}.diff"

Edit auth-ldap-diff-from-${MAJOR_FIRST}.${MAJOR_SECOND}.${PREV_MINOR}-v${PREVIOUS_PATCH_VERSION}.diff to change all references to the LDAP plugin name (ldap), ESPECIALLY IN THE FILE NAMES AND PATHS, to %%LDAPNAME%%. Remember that the refrences include the paths that appear in each of the patch hunk headers.
VERY IMPORTANT Pay special attention at the name of the language file – and some others, specially in the classes directory –, as they contain the plugin name in their file names!

Switch to the ldap clones branch:

git checkout "ldap-clones-patch-script-${MAJOR_FIRST}.${MAJOR_SECOND}"

Rebase the ldap clones branch on top of the new minor branch:

git rebase "v${MAJOR_FIRST}.${MAJOR_SECOND}.${NEW_MINOR}"

Try to apply the patch from auth-ldap-diff-from-${MAJOR_FIRST}.${MAJOR_SECOND}.${PREV_MINOR}-v${PREVIOUS_PATCH_VERSION}.diff, using the --dry-run option. If the patch command outputs any errors, fix the patch file until it no longer does (you are probably missing some ldap to %%LDAPNAME%% conversions).
Once the patch command does not output any errors, execute it without the --dry-run option, to actually apply the patch.
Jump to the section Final shared steps.

Initial steps for creating a subsequent version of the patch for an EXISTING minor version

Make sure you are in the directory which holds the git repository for the major Moodle version you want to create the patch for (e.g, 4.3, 4.4, etc.), where X.Y is the Moodle MAJOR_FIRST version in question.
```
cd path/to/moodle-X.Y
    
```

Once there, make sure it is up to date:

git checkout master
git pull origin

Checkout the commit for the subsequent version of the existing minor version. E.g., assuming you want to create the subsequent patch version for the first 4.4.0 weekly version after Moodle 4.4.0 was out, you would need to checkout commit f0c1a3789d59e8d6c742c6b4f5a8b5a7763af81d:
```
git checkout f0c1a3789d59e8d6c742c6b4f5a8b5a7763af81d
    
```

Tag the base for this subsequent patch version, pointing to the commit you just checked out:

export MAJOR_FIRST="4"
export MAJOR_SECOND="4"
export MINOR="0"
export PREVIOUS_PATCH_VERSION="01"
export PATCH_VERSION="02"
git tag "tag-ldap-clones-patch-script-${MAJOR_FIRST}.${MAJOR_SECOND}.${MINOR}-v${PATCH_VERSION}-base" HEAD

Rebase the ldap clones branch on top of the base of the new weekly tag:

git checkout "ldap-clones-patch-script-${MAJOR_FIRST}.${MAJOR_SECOND}"
git rebase "tag-ldap-clones-patch-script-${MAJOR_FIRST}.${MAJOR_SECOND}.${MINOR}-v${PATCH_VERSION}-base"

Calculate the changes in the standard LDAP plugin since the base of the previous patch version for the same minor version, to the base of the new weekly tag:

git diff "tag-ldap-clones-patch-script-${MAJOR_FIRST}.${MAJOR_SECOND}.${MINOR}-v${PREVIOUS_PATCH_VERSION}-base" -- auth/ldap/ > "auth-ldap-diff-from-${MAJOR_FIRST}.${MAJOR_SECOND}.${MINOR}-v${PREVIOUS_PATCH_VERSION}.diff"

Edit auth-ldap-diff-from-${MAJOR_FIRST}.${MAJOR_SECOND}.${MINOR}-v${PREVIOUS_PATCH_VERSION}.diff to change all references to the LDAP plugin name (ldap), ESPECIALLY IN THE FILE NAMES AND PATHS, to %%LDAPNAME%%. Remember that the refrences include the paths that appear in each of the patch hunk headers.
VERY IMPORTANT Pay special attention at the name of the language file – and some others, specially in the classes directory –, as they contain the plugin name in their file names!
Try to apply the patch from auth-ldap-diff-from-${MAJOR_FIRST}.${MAJOR_SECOND}.${MINOR}-v${PREVIOUS_PATCH_VERSION}.diff using the --dry-run option. If the patch command outputs any errors, fix the patch file until it no longer does (you are probably missing some ldap to %%LDAPNAME%% conversions).
Once the patch command does not output any errors, execute it without the --dry-run option, to actually apply the patch.
Jump to the section Final shared steps.

Final shared steps

Add the auth/%%LDAPNAME%% directory to the git staging area:
```
git add 'auth/%%LDAPNAME%%'
    
```

Create the ldapname.diff file needed by the ldapname.php script and use it to create a clone of the plugin (called ldap9999 in the example below):

git diff --cached "tag-ldap-clones-patch-script-${MAJOR_FIRST}.${MAJOR_SECOND}.${MINOR}-v${PATCH_VERSION}-base" > ldapname.diff
# Remove any existing ldap9999 plugin that may exist from previous attempts.
rm -rf auth/ldap9999
php ldapname.php ldap9999

Test the cloned plugin. Enable developer debug level, install the cloned plugin and configure it. Make sure there are no errors in the PHP error logs. Test the plugin by logging in, executethe CLI script for synchronising users, test the NTLM SSO login (if you use that feature), enable and test the scheduled tasks, etc. Make sure everything works as expected with no errors in the PHP log. Also, run the cloned plugin unit tests.
If you do any changes in the auth/%%LDAPNAME%% directory to fix any errors, go back to step 1 in this section and continue from there.

Once everything is Ok, commit the changes and tag the new patch version. Make sure you only commit the files under the auth/%%LDAP%% directory!:

export AUTHOR_NAME="Iñaki Arenaza"
export AUTHOR_EMAIL="iarenaza@escomposlinux.org"
git add 'auth/%%LDAPNAME%%'
git commit -m "[${MAJOR_FIRST}.${MAJOR_SECOND}.${MINOR}-v${PATCH_VERSION}] Add support for multiple clones of LDAP auth plugin

Signed-off-by: ${AUTHOR_NAME} <${AUTHOR_EMAIL}>"
git tag "tag-ldap-clones-patch-script-${MAJOR_FIRST}.${MAJOR_SECOND}.${MINOR}-v${PATCH_VERSION}" HEAD

Update the ldapname.php script if needed (this is rarely needed).

Create the .zip file with ldapname.php, ldapname.diff and ldapname-README.txt files and upload it to the git repository:

zip ldap-clones-patch-script-${MAJOR_FIRST}.${MAJOR_SECOND}.${MINOR}-v${PATCH_VERSION}.zip ldapname-README.txt ldapname.php ldapname.diff

Checkout the master branch
```
git checkout master
    
```

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
Latest commit History 5 Commits
moodle-2.7		moodle-2.7
moodle-2.8		moodle-2.8
moodle-2.9		moodle-2.9
moodle-3.0		moodle-3.0
moodle-3.1		moodle-3.1
moodle-3.10		moodle-3.10
moodle-3.11		moodle-3.11
moodle-3.2		moodle-3.2
moodle-3.3		moodle-3.3
moodle-3.4		moodle-3.4
moodle-3.7		moodle-3.7
moodle-3.8		moodle-3.8
moodle-3.9		moodle-3.9
moodle-4.0		moodle-4.0
moodle-4.1		moodle-4.1
moodle-4.2		moodle-4.2
moodle-4.3		moodle-4.3
moodle-4.4		moodle-4.4
README.org		README.org

Provide feedback

Saved searches

Use saved searches to filter your results more quickly

Repository files navigation

LDAP Clones patches for Moodle

License for the files in this repository

Initial patch creation for a given Moodle major version

Subsequent patch versions for the same major Moodle version.

Initial steps for creating the first version of the patch for a NEW minor version

Initial steps for creating a subsequent version of the patch for an EXISTING minor version

Final shared steps

About

iarenaza/moodle-ldap-clones

Folders and files

Latest commit

History

Repository files navigation

LDAP Clones patches for Moodle

License for the files in this repository

Initial patch creation for a given Moodle major version

Subsequent patch versions for the same major Moodle version.

Initial steps for creating the first version of the patch for a NEW minor version

Initial steps for creating a subsequent version of the patch for an EXISTING minor version

Final shared steps

About

Resources

Stars

Watchers

Forks