---
name: "pam_timestamp_check"
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_timestamp_check"
---

# pam\_timestamp\_check(8)

Check to see if the default timestamp is valid

## NAME

pam\_timestamp\_check - Check to see if the default timestamp is valid

## SYNOPSIS

**pam\_timestamp\_check** \[-k\] \[-d\] \[*target\_user*\]

## DESCRIPTION

With no arguments **pam\_timestamp\_check** will check to see if the default timestamp is valid, or optionally remove it.

## OPTIONS

- \-k

  Instead of checking the validity of a timestamp, remove it. This is analogous to sudo's *-k* option.

- \-d

  Instead of returning validity using an exit status, loop indefinitely, polling regularly and printing the status on standard output.

target\_user

By default **pam\_timestamp\_check** checks or removes timestamps generated by *pam\_timestamp* when users authenticate as themselves. When the user authenticates as a different user, the name of the timestamp file changes to accommodate this. *target\_user* allows one to specify this user name.

## RETURN VALUES

0

The timestamp is valid.

2

The binary is not setuid root.

3

Invalid invocation.

4

User is unknown.

5

Permissions error.

6

Invalid controlling tty.

7

Timestamp is not valid.

## NOTES

Users can get confused when they are not always asked for passwords when running a given program. Some users reflexively begin typing information before noticing that it is not being asked for.

## EXAMPLES

```
auth sufficient pam_timestamp.so verbose
auth required   pam_unix.so
session required pam_unix.so
session optional pam_timestamp.so
```

## FILES

/var/run/sudo/...

timestamp files and directories

## SEE ALSO

[**pam\_timestamp\_check**(8)](/pam_timestamp_check/8.md), [**pam.conf**(5)](/pam.conf/5.md), [**pam.d**(5)](/pam.d/5.md), [**pam**(8)](/pam/8.md)

## AUTHOR

pam\_timestamp was written by Nalin Dahyabhai.