---
name: "pam_radius"
section: "8"
platform: "linux"
package: "libpam0g-util"
version: "0.57b-0.2"
release: "Debian 2.0 (Hamm)"
platforms: ["linux", "freebsd"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/pam_radius"
---

# pam\_radius(8)

PAM authentication module

## NAME

pam\_radius - PAM authentication module

## DESCRIPTION

pam\_radius module:\
         RADIUS session module.

WHAT IT DOES:\
         This module is intended to provide the session service for users autheticated with a RADIUS server. At the present stage, the only option supported is the use of the RADIUS server as an accounting server. There are few things which needs to be cleared out first in the PAM project until one will be able to use this module and expect it to magically start pppd in response to a RADIUS server command to use PPP for this user, or to initiate a telnet connection to another host, or to hang and call back the user using parameters provided in the RADIUS server response. Most of these things are better suited for the radius login application. I hope to make available Real Soon (tm) patches for the login apps to make it work this way.

ARGUMENTS RECOGNIZED:\
     debug		verbose logging

MODULE SERVICES PROVIDED:\
         session            \_open\_session and \_close\_session

        When opening a session, this module sends an Accounting-Start message to the RADIUS server, which will log/update/whatever a database for this user. On close, an Accounting-Stop message is sent to the RADIUS server.

This module have no other pre-requisites for making it work. One can install a RADIUS server just for fun and use it as a centralized accounting server and forget about wtmp/last/sac&comp :-)

USAGE:\
         For the services you need this module (login for example) put\
         the following line in /etc/pam.conf as the last line for that\
         service (usually after the pam\_unix session line):

        login   session    required     /lib/security/pam\_radius.so

        Replace "login" for each service you are using this module.

        This module make extensive use of the API provided in libpwdb\
         0\.54preB or later. By default, it will read the radius server\
         configuration (hostname and secret) from /etc/raddb/server. This is\
         a default compiled into libpwdb, and curently there is no way to\
         modify this default without recompiling libpwdb. I am working on\
         extending the radius support from libpwdb to provide a possibility\
         to make this runtime-configurable.

        Also please note that libpwdb will require also the RADIUS\
         dictionary to be present (/etc/raddb/dictionary).

TODO:\
         The work is far from complete. Deal with "real" session things.

AUTHOR:\
         Cristian Gafton \<gafton@sorosis.ro\>