Linux › Section G · System configuration › Topic G.8
Pluggable Authentication Modules
Programs such as login, sshd, sudo and passwd do not each contain their own password-checking code. They ask PAM, a library that reads a small configuration file and runs a chain of modules, so an administrator can change a login policy without touching the programs.
In this topic
- Why PAM exists
- Where the rules live and how a line reads
- Four management groups
- Control flags decide what a result means
- Common modules
- Worked example: tracing a stack
- Worked example: required versus requisite
- Per-distribution layout
- Changing policy safely
- Common mistakes to avoid
- Key takeaways
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