---
name: "pam_tacplus"
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_tacplus"
---

# pam\_tacplus(8)

TACACS+ authentication PAM module

## NAME

**pam\_tacplus** – TACACS+ authentication PAM module

## SYNOPSIS

\[*service-name*\] *module-type* *control-flag* *pam\_tacplus* \[*options*\]

## DESCRIPTION

The **pam\_tacplus** module provides authentication services based upon the TACACS+ protocol for the PAM (Pluggable Authentication Module) framework.

The **pam\_tacplus** module accepts these optional parameters:

- **use\_first\_pass**

  causes **pam\_tacplus** to use a previously entered password instead of prompting for a new one. If no password has been entered then authentication fails.

- **try\_first\_pass**

  causes **pam\_tacplus** to use a previously entered password, if one is available. If no password has been entered, **pam\_tacplus** prompts for one as usual.

- **echo\_pass**

  causes echoing to be left on if **pam\_tacplus** prompts for a password.

- **conf**=*pathname*

  specifies a non-standard location for the TACACS+ client configuration file (normally located in */etc/tacplus.conf*).

- **template\_user**=*username*

  specifies a user whose [passwd(5)](/passwd/5.md) entry will be used as a template to create the session environment if the supplied username does not exist in local password database. The user will be authenticated with the supplied username and password, but his credentials to the system will be presented as the ones for *username*, i.e., his login class, home directory, resource limits, etc. will be set to ones defined for *username*.

  If this option is omitted, and there is no username in the system databases equal to the supplied one (as determined by call to [getpwnam(3)](/getpwnam/3.md)), the authentication will fail.

## FILES

- */etc/tacplus.conf*

  The standard TACACS+ client configuration file for **pam\_tacplus**

## SEE ALSO

[pam(3)](/pam/3.md), [passwd(5)](/passwd/5.md), [tacplus.conf(5)](/tacplus.conf/5.md), [nss\_tacplus(8)](/nss_tacplus/8.md)

## HISTORY

The **pam\_tacplus** module first appeared in FreeBSD 3.1.

## AUTHORS

The **pam\_tacplus** manual page was written by Andrzej Bialecki ⟨*abial@FreeBSD.org*⟩ and adapted to TACACS+ from RADIUS by Mark R V Murray ⟨*markm@FreeBSD.org*⟩.

The **pam\_tacplus** module was written by John D. Polstra ⟨*jdp@FreeBSD.org*⟩.