---
name: "pmvarrun"
section: "8"
platform: "linux"
package: "pam_mount"
version: "2.23-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/pmvarrun"
---

# pmvarrun(8)

updates /var/run/pam\_mount/user

## Name

pmvarrun - updates /var/run/pam\_mount/*user*

## Syntax

**pmvarrun** **-u** *user* \[*options*\]

## Description

A separate program is needed so that /var/run/pam\_mount/*user* may be created with a pam\_mount-specific security context (otherwise SELinux policy will conflict with gdm, which also creates file in /var/run).

pmvarrun is flexible and can run in a number of different security setups:

### root-root

When pmvarrun is invoked as root, /var/run/pam\_mount's permission settings can be as strict as needed; usually (0755,root,root) is a good pick as it gives users the debug control over their refcount. Refcount files are given their respective owners (chowned to the user who logs in).

### user-user

When invoked as the user who logs in, /var/run/pam\_mount needs appropriate permissions to create a file, which means the write bit must be set. It is also highly suggested to set the sticky bit in this case, so other users do not tamper with your refcount.

### root-user

Some programs or login helpers incorrectly call the PAM stack in a way that the login phase is done as root and the logout phase as a normal user. Nevertheless, pmvarrun supports this, and the same permissions as in root-root can be used. While the user may not be able to unlink his file from /var/run/pam\_mount, it will be truncated to indicate the same state.

## Options

- **--help**, **-h**

  Display help.

- **--user** *user*, **-u** *user*

  User to handle, must be a valid username.

- **--operation** *number*, **-o** *number*

  Increase volume count by *number*.

- **-d**

  Turn on debugging.

## Files

**/var/run/pam\_mount/***user*

## Author

This manpage was originally written by Bastian Kleineidam \<calvin@debian.org\> for the Debian distribution of libpam-mount but may be used by others.

See /usr/share/doc/packages/pam\_mount/AUTHORS for the list of original authors of pam\_mount.