Linux PAM: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Software library to manage authentication on Linux}}

{{more footnotes|date=September 2010}}

{{Infobox software

| name = Linux = PAM

| title = Linux = PAM

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| latest release version = {{wikidata|property|preferred|references|edit|Q6555077|P348|P548=Q2804309}}

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| latest release versiondate = 1.3.1{{wikidata|qualifier|preferred|single|Q6555077|P348|P548=Q2804309|P577}}

| latest release date = {{Start date and age|2018|5|18}}

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| programming language = [[C (programming language)|C]]

| operating system = [[Linux]]

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| genre = authentication

| repo = {{URL|github.com/linux-pam/linux-pam}}

| license = [[GNU General Public License]] or [[RevisedModified BSD License]]

| website = {{URL|http://www.linux-pam.org/}}

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'''Linux Pluggable Authentication Modules''' (PAM) is a suite of libraries that allow a Linux [[system administrator]] to configure methods to [[Authentication|authenticate]] users. It provides a flexible and centralized way to switch authentication methods for secured applications by using configuration files instead of changing application code.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Chapter 1. Introduction|url=http://www.linux-pam.org/Linux-PAM-html/sag-introduction.html|access-date=2023-11-11|website=An Internet Archive page of Linux PAM site|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506140423/http://www.linux-pam.org/Linux-PAM-html/sag-introduction.html |archive-date=2021-05-06 }}</ref> There are Linux PAM libraries allowing authentication using methods such as local passwords, [[Lightweight Directory Access Protocol|LDAP]], or fingerprint readers.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Lauber|first=Susan|date=2020-07-22|title=An introduction to Pluggable Authentication Modules (PAM) in Linux|url=https://www.redhat.com/sysadmin/pluggable-authentication-modules-pam|access-date=2021-02-28|website=Red Hat|language=en}}</ref> Linux PAM is evolved from the [[Unix]] [[Pluggable Authentication Modules]] architecture.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.linuxjournal.com/article/5940|title=Securing Applications on Linux with PAM {{!}} Linux Journal|last1=Fernandes|first1=Savio|last2=Reddy|first2=KLM|website=[[Linux Journal]]|language=en|access-date=2018-09-30}}</ref>

'''Linux Pluggable Authentication Modules''' (PAM) provide dynamic authentication support for applications and services in a [[Linux]] or [[GNU/kFreeBSD]]<ref>https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=220980</ref> system. Linux PAM is evolved from the [[Unix]] [[Pluggable Authentication Modules]] architecture.

Linux-PAM separates the tasks of authentication into four independent management groups:<ref>{{Cite web|title=pam.d(8): Pluggable Authentication Modules for - Linux man page|url=https://linux.die.net/man/8/pam.d|access-date=2021-02-28|website=linux.die.net}}</ref>

* account modules check that the specified account is a valid authentication target under current conditions. This may include conditions like account expiration, time of day, and that the user has access to the requested service.

* authentication modules verify the user's identity, for example by requesting and checking a password or other secret. They may also pass authentication information on to other systems like a [[Keyring (cryptography)|keyring]].

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==See also==

{{Portal|Linux|Free and open-source software}}

*[[Pluggable Authentication Modules]]

* [[OpenPAM]]

==References==

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==External links==

* [http://www.linux-pam.org/ Primary distribution site for the Linux-PAM pageproject]

* [httphttps://linuxgithub.die.netcom/man/8linux-pam/linux-pam.d pam.d(8)Development -site for the Linux-PAM man pageproject]

* [https://github.com/linux-pam/linux-pam Development site for the Linux-PAM project]

* [http://aplawrence.com/Basics/understandingpam.html ''Understanding PAM'', by A.P. Lawrence]