---
name: "pamtester"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "pamtester"
version: "0.1.2-4"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/pamtester"
---

# pamtester(1)

test pluggable authentication module (PAM) facility

## NAME

pamtester - test pluggable authentication module (PAM) facility

## SYNOPSIS

**pamtester** \[-v\] \[-I *item*=*value*\] \[-E *var*=*value*\] *service* *user* *operation* \[*operation* ...\]

## DESCRIPTION

Test pluggable authentication module (PAM) facility.

*service* is the PAM service name. *user* is the name of the user account to operate with the PAM facility. The following operations are supported.

- authenticate

  Authenticate *user*. A conversation may subsequently take place to prompt user input to retrieve necessary authentication information.

- acct\_mgmt

  Perform account management on *user*. A conversation may subsequently take place to prompt user input for necessary authentication information.

- open\_session

  Open a new session for *user*.

- close\_session

  Close the current session for *user*.

- chauthtok

  Change the authentication token currently assigned to *user*. Conversation may subsequently take place to prompt user input for necessary authentication information.

Note that some operations may eventually need additional privileges to fulfill the request depending on the service configuration.

Any operation may also be followed by the option flags that are provided between the pair of parenthesis. Flags are all named and combinable or inversible with bitwise operators; "\|" (OR), "&" (AND), "^" (XOR) and "~" (NOT) are accepted.

-

  authenticate(PAM\_SILENT \| PAM\_DISALLOW\_NULL\_AUTHTOK)

The list of allowed options is shown below:

- \-

  PAM\_SILENT

- \-

  PAM\_DISALLOW\_NULL\_AUTHTOK

- \-

  PAM\_ESTABLISH\_CRED

- \-

  PAM\_REINITIALIZE\_CRED

- \-

  PAM\_REFRESH\_CRED

- \-

  PAM\_CHANGE\_EXPIRED\_AUTHTOK

Additional authentication information such as the name of the remote user, the remote host and the tty can be supplied via *-I* (*--item*) option.

The following types of information are supported:

- \-

  service

- \-

  user

- \-

  prompt

- \-

  tty

- \-

  ruser

- \-

  rhost

## OPTIONS

- **-v**, **--verbose**

  Turn on verbose mode.

- **-I** *item*=*value*, **--item** *item*=*value*

  Provide additional information to authentication module.

- **-E** *var*=*value*, **--env** *var*=*value*

  Set environment variable *var* to *value*

## AUTHOR

Written by Moriyoshi Koizumi \<moriyoshi@users.sourceforge.net\>

## REPORTING BUGS

Report bugs to \<pamtester-bugs@lists.sourceforge.net\>.

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright © 2004 - 2005 Moriyoshi Koizumi. All rights reserved.

## SEE ALSO

[*pam*(7)](/pam/7.md)