pam_sqlite

This is a review of pam_sqlite, a software that allows developers to authenticate users against a table in an SQLite database. One of the key benefits of using pam_sqlite is its support for checking account information (pam_acct_expired, new_authtok_reqd) and updating authentication tokens.

Compiling and installing pam_sqlite is simple thanks to its autoconf configuration. Users can compile and install pam_sqlite by running the following commands:

$ ./configure
$ make
$ make install

This software has been tested on RedHat Linux 7.3 platforms. However, in order to compile the module, users need to have SQLite library and header files. Users can refer to test.c for an application example that authenticates using this module.

To configure the module for the service, users need to edit the /etc/pam.d/ file or /etc/pam.conf and add the relevant lines. For example:

auth required pam_sqlite.so
account required pam_sqlite.so
password required pam_sqlite.so

Users can configure the database and table the module should use with /etc/pam_sqlite.conf, which contains an example file. The configuration file includes options for the database, table, user column, password column, expired column that tells PAM if the user account has expired, and newtok column that informs PAM if the user needs a new password. The debug option sets debug output to syslog.

Backwards compatibility is maintained with earlier versions, and options specified in the configuration file can be supplied as module arguments as well. Module arguments will override the configuration file.

Lastly, pam_sqlite offers several configuration options for users to specify password encryption schemes such as clear, md5, or crypt. Users can also choose to read from a configuration file path, and specify SQL template options for verifying passwords, checking for account expiry, and checking for new passwords. PAM_sqlite also allows users to specify SQL templates for updating passwords and users.