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

# pam\_rhosts(8)

The rhosts PAM module

## NAME

pam\_rhosts - The rhosts PAM module

## SYNOPSIS

**pam\_rhosts.so**

## DESCRIPTION

This module performs the standard network authentication for services, as used by traditional implementations of **rlogin** and **rsh** etc.

The authentication mechanism of this module is based on the contents of two files: /etc/hosts.equiv and ~/.rhosts. Firstly, hosts listed in the former file are treated as equivalent to the localhost. Secondly, entries in the user's own copy of the latter file is used to map "*remote-host remote-user*" pairs to that user's account on the current host. Access is granted to the user if their host is present in /etc/hosts.equiv and their remote account is identical to their local one, or if their remote account has an entry in their personal configuration file.

The module authenticates a remote user (internally specified by the item *PAM\_RUSER*) connecting from the remote host (internally specified by the item **PAM\_RHOST**). Accordingly, for applications to be compatible with this authentication module they must set these items prior to calling **pam\_authenticate()**. The module is not capable of independently probing the network connection for such information.

## OPTIONS

debug

Print debug information.

silent

Don't print informative messages.

superuser=account

Handle *account* as root.

## MODULE TYPES PROVIDED

Only the **auth** module type is provided.

## RETURN VALUES

PAM\_AUTH\_ERR

The remote host, remote user name or the local user name couldn't be determined or access was denied by .rhosts file.

PAM\_USER\_UNKNOWN

User is not known to system.

## EXAMPLES

To grant a remote user access by /etc/hosts.equiv or .rhosts for **rsh** add the following lines to /etc/pam.d/rsh:

```
#%PAM-1.0
#
auth     required       pam_rhosts.so
auth     required       pam_nologin.so
auth     required       pam_env.so
auth     required       pam_unix.so
```

## SEE ALSO

**rootok**(3), [**hosts.equiv**(5)](/hosts.equiv/5.md), [**rhosts**(5)](/rhosts/5.md), [**pam.conf**(5)](/pam.conf/5.md), [**pam.d**(5)](/pam.d/5.md), [**pam**(8)](/pam/8.md)

## AUTHOR

pam\_rhosts was written by Thorsten Kukuk \<kukuk@thkukuk.de\>