---
name: "pam_localuser"
section: "8"
platform: "linux"
package: "pam"
version: "1.7.3-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/pam_localuser"
---

# pam\_localuser(8)

require users to be listed in /etc/passwd

## NAME

pam\_localuser - require users to be listed in /etc/passwd

## SYNOPSIS

**pam\_localuser.so** \[debug\] \[file=*/path/passwd*\]

## DESCRIPTION

pam\_localuser is a PAM module to help implementing site-wide login policies, where they typically include a subset of the network's users and a few accounts that are local to a particular workstation. Using pam\_localuser and pam\_wheel or pam\_listfile is an effective way to restrict access to either local users and/or a subset of the network's users.

This could also be implemented using pam\_listfile.so and a very short awk script invoked by cron, but it's common enough to have been separated out.

## OPTIONS

debug

Print debug information.

file=/path/passwd

Use a file other than /etc/passwd.

## MODULE TYPES PROVIDED

All module types (**account**, **auth**, **password** and **session**) are provided.

## RETURN VALUES

PAM\_SUCCESS

The new localuser was set successfully.

PAM\_BUF\_ERR

Memory buffer error.

PAM\_CONV\_ERR

The conversation method supplied by the application failed to obtain the username.

PAM\_INCOMPLETE

The conversation method supplied by the application returned PAM\_CONV\_AGAIN.

PAM\_SERVICE\_ERR

The user name is not valid or the passwd file is unavailable.

PAM\_PERM\_DENIED

The user is not listed in the passwd file.

## EXAMPLES

Add the following lines to /etc/pam.d/su to allow only local users or group wheel to use su.

```
account sufficient pam_localuser.so
account required pam_wheel.so
```

## FILES

/etc/passwd

Local user account information.

## SEE ALSO

[**pam.conf**(5)](/pam.conf/5.md), [**pam.d**(5)](/pam.d/5.md), [**pam**(8)](/pam/8.md)

## AUTHOR

pam\_localuser was written by Nalin Dahyabhai \<nalin@redhat.com\>.