pam(3)


NAME

   pam - Pluggable Authentication Modules Library

SYNOPSIS

   #include <security/pam_appl.h>

   #include <security/pam_modules.h>

   #include <security/pam_ext.h>

DESCRIPTION

   PAM is a system of libraries that handle the authentication tasks of
   applications (services) on the system. The library provides a stable
   general interface (Application Programming Interface - API) that
   privilege granting programs (such as login(1) and su(1)) defer to to
   perform standard authentication tasks.

   Initialization and Cleanup
   The pam_start(3) function creates the PAM context and initiates the PAM
   transaction. It is the first of the PAM functions that needs to be
   called by an application. The transaction state is contained entirely
   within the structure identified by this handle, so it is possible to
   have multiple transactions in parallel. But it is not possible to use
   the same handle for different transactions, a new one is needed for
   every new context.

   The pam_end(3) function terminates the PAM transaction and is the last
   function an application should call in the PAM context. Upon return the
   handle pamh is no longer valid and all memory associated with it will
   be invalid. It can be called at any time to terminate a PAM
   transaction.

   Authentication
   The pam_authenticate(3) function is used to authenticate the user. The
   user is required to provide an authentication token depending upon the
   authentication service, usually this is a password, but could also be a
   finger print.

   The pam_setcred(3) function manages the userscredentials.

   Account Management
   The pam_acct_mgmt(3) function is used to determine if the users account
   is valid. It checks for authentication token and account expiration and
   verifies access restrictions. It is typically called after the user has
   been authenticated.

   Password Management
   The pam_chauthtok(3) function is used to change the authentication
   token for a given user on request or because the token has expired.

   Session Management
   The pam_open_session(3) function sets up a user session for a
   previously successful authenticated user. The session should later be
   terminated with a call to pam_close_session(3).

   Conversation
   The PAM library uses an application-defined callback to allow a direct
   communication between a loaded module and the application. This
   callback is specified by the struct pam_conv passed to pam_start(3) at
   the start of the transaction. See pam_conv(3) for details.

   Data Objects
   The pam_set_item(3) and pam_get_item(3) functions allows applications
   and PAM service modules to set and retrieve PAM informations.

   The pam_get_user(3) function is the preferred method to obtain the
   username.

   The pam_set_data(3) and pam_get_data(3) functions allows PAM service
   modules to set and retrieve free-form data from one invocation to
   another.

   Environment and Error Management
   The pam_putenv(3), pam_getenv(3) and pam_getenvlist(3) functions are
   for maintaining a set of private environment variables.

   The pam_strerror(3) function returns a pointer to a string describing
   the given PAM error code.

RETURN VALUES

   The following return codes are known by PAM:

   PAM_ABORT
       Critical error, immediate abort.

   PAM_ACCT_EXPIRED
       User account has expired.

   PAM_AUTHINFO_UNAVAIL
       Authentication service cannot retrieve authentication info.

   PAM_AUTHTOK_DISABLE_AGING
       Authentication token aging disabled.

   PAM_AUTHTOK_ERR
       Authentication token manipulation error.

   PAM_AUTHTOK_EXPIRED
       Authentication token expired.

   PAM_AUTHTOK_LOCK_BUSY
       Authentication token lock busy.

   PAM_AUTHTOK_RECOVERY_ERR
       Authentication information cannot be recovered.

   PAM_AUTH_ERR
       Authentication failure.

   PAM_BUF_ERR
       Memory buffer error.

   PAM_CONV_ERR
       Conversation failure.

   PAM_CRED_ERR
       Failure setting user credentials.

   PAM_CRED_EXPIRED
       User credentials expired.

   PAM_CRED_INSUFFICIENT
       Insufficient credentials to access authentication data.

   PAM_CRED_UNAVAIL
       Authentication service cannot retrieve user credentials.

   PAM_IGNORE
       The return value should be ignored by PAM dispatch.

   PAM_MAXTRIES
       Have exhausted maximum number of retries for service.

   PAM_MODULE_UNKNOWN
       Module is unknown.

   PAM_NEW_AUTHTOK_REQD
       Authentication token is no longer valid; new one required.

   PAM_NO_MODULE_DATA
       No module specific data is present.

   PAM_OPEN_ERR
       Failed to load module.

   PAM_PERM_DENIED
       Permission denied.

   PAM_SERVICE_ERR
       Error in service module.

   PAM_SESSION_ERR
       Cannot make/remove an entry for the specified session.

   PAM_SUCCESS
       Success.

   PAM_SYMBOL_ERR
       Symbol not found.

   PAM_SYSTEM_ERR
       System error.

   PAM_TRY_AGAIN
       Failed preliminary check by password service.

   PAM_USER_UNKNOWN
       User not known to the underlying authentication module.

SEE ALSO

   pam_acct_mgmt(3), pam_authenticate(3), pam_chauthtok(3),
   pam_close_session(3), pam_conv(3), pam_end(3), pam_get_data(3),
   pam_getenv(3), pam_getenvlist(3), pam_get_item(3), pam_get_user(3),
   pam_open_session(3), pam_putenv(3), pam_set_data(3), pam_set_item(3),
   pam_setcred(3), pam_start(3), pam_strerror(3)

NOTES

   The libpam interfaces are only thread-safe if each thread within the
   multithreaded application uses its own PAM handle.





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