This is working as designed. When using *attr you use the actual LDAP attribute name which in this case is mail. The option names were chosen to be more human-readable equivalents.

Yes Rob, but the main point is that it is confusing. 

In a different conversation I proposed e.g. new options for multivalued attributes. E.g:
  --add-email
  --remove-email

So that users can avoid using --addattr and --setattr which are low level

I bet there is already some trac ticket filed by Honza.

That's fine but it doesn't make this bug any more valid. The *attr options specifically require LDAP attributes in order to provide the most possible flexibility to administrators so they don't have to resort to ldapmodify.

If an attribute can be multi-valued but is not defined as such in the IPA param then that is a separate bug. The fact that you can add them at all is a testament to the flexibility of *attr.

And note that if you try to do IPA param name -> attribute mapping then you are just creating a whole new test matrix. Better to keep it simple.

Rob, I understand that the tools are working as designed. I didn't file this bug because I thought that the design is wrong; I filed it because I think there is a usability problem. How can a regular user figure out that they have to use "email" in one case and "mail" in another? I only found out by accident.

I've already added a note to the official documentation about this, but modifying the tools so that they behave in a consistent and predictable way would be a much better solution.

Upstream ticket:
https://fedorahosted.org/freeipa/ticket/3054

Thank you taking your time and submitting this request for Red Hat Enterprise Linux. The request was cloned to the upstream tracker a long time ago (see link to the upstream ticket above), but it was unfortunately not given priority either in the upstream project, nor in Red Hat Enterprise Linux.

Given that this request is not planned for a close release, it is highly unlikely it will be fixed in this major version of Red Hat Enterprise Linux. We are therefore closing the request as WONTFIX.

To request that Red Hat reconsiders the decision, please reopen the Bugzilla with the help of Red Hat Customer Service and provide additional business and/or technical details about it's importance to you. Please note that you can still track this request or even offer help in the referred upstream Pagure ticket to expedite the solution.