Linux-PAM

Linux-PAM provides a flexible and customizable mechanism for user authentication. In order to better understand how it works, let us take the example of a login application that grants users access to a command shell. This application establishes the identity of the user and provides them with the requested service. This is where Linux-PAM is delegated: it verifies the authenticity of the user by prompting them for a password and ensuring that it matches the one stored on the system.

From the perspective of the application programmer, Linux-PAM takes care of the authentication task. As a system administrator, you have the freedom to specify which authentication scheme should be used for PAM-aware applications on your Linux system. This can range from simple trust to a combination of multiple factors, such as a retinal scan, a voice print, and a one-time password.

To illustrate the flexibility of Linux-PAM, consider the example of a parent wishing to improve the math skills of her children. By configuring a “Shoot 'em up game” to authenticate users based on math problems, the game can help them learn multiplication and eventually long division.

Linux-PAM handles four separate types of management tasks: authentication, account, session, and password management. These management schemes are associated with the behavior of an application by entering the relevant information in the configuration file. Modules specified in the configuration file perform these management functions, and the library loads them in the appropriate order.

Linux-PAM provides a conversation function that allows the application to exchange textual information with the user. This release includes a lot of patches from Debian. Overall, Linux-PAM is a powerful and flexible tool for customizing user authentication in your Linux system.