NAME

pam_open_session - open a user session

SYNOPSIS

#include <security/pam_appl.h>

int pam_open_session (
    pam_handle_t    *pamh,
    int              flags
);

DESCRIPTION

The pam_open_session() function opens a new session for a user previously authenticated with a call to pam_authenticate().

If successful, the function returns [PAM_SUCCESS].

The arguments for pam_open_session() are:

pamh (in)

The PAM handle, which has been returned from a previous call to pam_start().

flags (in)

Flags may be set to PAM_SILENT to disable messages from the session service.

In many instances the pam_open_session() and pam_close_session() calls may be made by different processes. For example, in UNIX the login process opens a session, while the init process closes the session. In this case the, UTMP/WTMP entries may be used to link the call to pam_close_session() with an earlier call to pam_open_session(). This is possible because UTMP/WTMP entries are uniquely identified by a combination of attributes, including the user login name and device name, which are accessible through the PAM handle, pamh. The call to pam_open_session() should precede UTMP/WTMP entry management and the call to pam_close_session() should follow UTMP/WTMP exit management.

RETURN VALUE

The following PAM status codes shall be returned:

[PAM_SUCCESS]

Successful completion.

[PAM_SESSION_ERR]

There has been a failure in creating or removing an entry for the specified session.

[PAM_PERM_DENIED]

The caller does not possess the required authority.

[PAM_OPEN_ERR]

Failure when dynamically loading a service module.

[PAM_SYMBOL_ERR]

Symbol not found in service module.

[PAM_SERVICE_ERR]

Error in service module.

[PAM_SYSTEM_ERR]

System error.

[PAM_BUF_ERR]

Memory buffer error.

[PAM_CONV_ERR]

Conversation error.

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