---
name: "pam_guest"
section: "8"
platform: "freebsd"
package: "base"
version: "16.0-CURRENT-20261027-61c70dc16a79"
release: "FreeBSD 16.0-CURRENT (2026-10-27)"
platforms: ["freebsd"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/pam_guest"
---

# pam\_guest(8)

Guest PAM module

## NAME

**pam\_guest** – Guest PAM module

## SYNOPSIS

\[*service-name*\] *module-type* *control-flag* *pam\_guest* \[*arguments*\]

## DESCRIPTION

The guest service module for PAM allows guest logins. If successful, the **pam\_guest** module sets the PAM environment variable GUEST to the login name. The application can check this variable using [pam\_getenv(3)](/pam_getenv/3.md) to differentiate guest logins from normal logins.

The following options may be passed to the **pam\_guest** module:

- **guests**=*list*

  Comma-separated list of guest account names. The default is “guest”. A typical value for [ftpd(8)](/ftpd/8.md) would be “anonymous,ftp”.

- **nopass**

  Omits the password prompt if the target account is on the list of guest accounts.

- **pass\_as\_ruser**

  The password typed in by the user is exported as the PAM\_RUSER item. This is useful for applications like [ftpd(8)](/ftpd/8.md) where guest users are encouraged to use their email address as password.

- **pass\_is\_user**

  Requires the guest user to type in the guest account name as password.

## SEE ALSO

[pam(3)](/pam/3.md), [pam\_get\_item(3)](/pam_get_item/3.md), [pam\_getenv(3)](/pam_getenv/3.md), [pam.conf(5)](/pam.conf/5.md)

## AUTHORS

The **pam\_guest** module and this manual page were developed for the FreeBSD Project by ThinkSec AS and NAI Labs, the Security Research Division of Network Associates, Inc. under DARPA/SPAWAR contract N66001-01-C-8035 (“CBOSS”), as part of the DARPA CHATS research program.