---
name: "kcheckpass"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "kdebase-bin"
version: "4:3.5.9.dfsg.1-6+lenny1"
release: "Debian 5.0 (Lenny)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/kcheckpass"
---

# kcheckpass(1)

The KCheckPass authentication software

## NAME

kcheckpass - The KCheckPass authentication software

## SYNOPSIS

**kcheckpass**

## DESCRIPTION

**KCheckPass** is KDE's authentication program. It is meant to be used by any software in need of user authentication, most notably screensavers.

It enhances security be the following means:\

- \-

  It's only a small program, which is hopefully simple enough to allow it to be SUID root. Setting it to SUID root is necessary on Shadow Password systems.

- \-

  No other program in need of user authentication, must be SUID root.

- \-

  It provides a single implementation to check passwords. So one only must take a closer look at **KCheckPass** to ensure password security. It's much easier for programs using **KCheckPass** to preserve security.

**Technique:**

**KCheckPass** is a simple password checker. Just invoke and send it the password on stdin.

If the password was accepted, the program exits with 0;\
 if it was rejected, it exits with 1. Any other exit code signals an error.

## AUTHORS

```
Olaf Kirch <okir@caldera.de>
Christian Esken <esken@kde.org>
Oswald Buddenhagen <ossi@kde.org>
```

Please use http://bugs.kde.org to report bugs; do not mail the authors directly.

This manual page was written by Holger Hartmann \<Holger\_Hartmann@gmx.de\> for the Debian Project, but may be used by others. Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU General Public License, Version 2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation.

On Debian systems, the complete text of the GNU General Public License can be found in /usr/share/common-licenses/GPL.