Linux PAM
Encyclopedia
Linux Pluggable Authentication Modules (PAM) provide dynamic authorization for applications and services in a Linux
system. Linux PAM is evolved from the Unix
Pluggable Authentication Modules
architecture.
There are four groups for independent management:
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
system. Linux PAM is evolved from the Unix
Unix
Unix is a multitasking, multi-user computer operating system originally developed in 1969 by a group of AT&T employees at Bell Labs, including Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie, Brian Kernighan, Douglas McIlroy, and Joe Ossanna...
Pluggable Authentication Modules
Pluggable Authentication Modules
Pluggable authentication modules are a mechanism to integrate multiple low-level authentication schemes into a high-level application programming interface . It allows programs that rely on authentication to be written independent of the underlying authentication scheme...
architecture.
There are four groups for independent management:
- 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.
- Password modules are responsible for updating passwords, and are generally coupled to modules employed in the authentication step. They may also be used to enforce strong passwords.
- Session modules define actions that are performed at the beginning and end of sessions. A session starts after the user has successfully authenticated.