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NAME

       pam_get_item - getting PAM informations

SYNOPSIS

       #include <security/pam_modules.h>

       int pam_get_item(const pam_handle_t *pamh, int item_type,
                        const void **item);

DESCRIPTION

       The pam_get_item function allows applications and PAM service modules
       to access and retrieve PAM informations of item_type. Upon successful
       return, item contains a pointer to the value of the corresponding item.
       Note, this is a pointer to the actual data and should not be free()'ed
       or over-written! The following values are supported for item_type:

       PAM_SERVICE
           The service name (which identifies that PAM stack that the PAM
           functions will use to authenticate the program).

       PAM_USER
           The username of the entity under whose identity service will be
           given. That is, following authentication, PAM_USER identifies the
           local entity that gets to use the service. Note, this value can be
           mapped from something (eg., "anonymous") to something else (eg.
           "guest119") by any module in the PAM stack. As such an application
           should consult the value of PAM_USER after each call to a PAM
           function.

       PAM_USER_PROMPT
           The string used when prompting for a user's name. The default value
           for this string is a localized version of "login: ".

       PAM_TTY
           The terminal name: prefixed by /dev/ if it is a device file; for
           graphical, X-based, applications the value for this item should be
           the $DISPLAY variable.

       PAM_RUSER
           The requesting user name: local name for a locally requesting user
           or a remote user name for a remote requesting user.

           Generally an application or module will attempt to supply the value
           that is most strongly authenticated (a local account before a
           remote one. The level of trust in this value is embodied in the
           actual authentication stack associated with the application, so it
           is ultimately at the discretion of the system administrator.

           PAM_RUSER@PAM_RHOST should always identify the requesting user. In
           some cases, PAM_RUSER may be NULL. In such situations, it is
           unclear who the requesting entity is.

       PAM_RHOST
           The requesting hostname (the hostname of the machine from which the
           PAM_RUSER entity is requesting service). That is
           PAM_RUSER@PAM_RHOST does identify the requesting user. In some
           applications, PAM_RHOST may be NULL. In such situations, it is
           unclear where the authentication request is originating from.

       PAM_AUTHTOK
           The authentication token (often a password). This token should be
           ignored by all module functions besides pam_sm_authenticate(3) and
           pam_sm_chauthtok(3). In the former function it is used to pass the
           most recent authentication token from one stacked module to
           another. In the latter function the token is used for another
           purpose. It contains the currently active authentication token.

       PAM_OLDAUTHTOK
           The old authentication token. This token should be ignored by all
           module functions except pam_sm_chauthtok(3).

       PAM_CONV
           The pam_conv structure. See pam_conv(3).

       The following additional items are specific to Linux-PAM and should not
       be used in portable applications:

       PAM_FAIL_DELAY
           A function pointer to redirect centrally managed failure delays.
           See pam_fail_delay(3).

       PAM_XDISPLAY
           The name of the X display. For graphical, X-based applications the
           value for this item should be the $DISPLAY variable. This value may
           be used independently of PAM_TTY for passing the name of the
           display.

       PAM_XAUTHDATA
           A pointer to a structure containing the X authentication data
           required to make a connection to the display specified by
           PAM_XDISPLAY, if such information is necessary. See
           pam_xauth_data(3).

       PAM_AUTHTOK_TYPE
           The default action is for the module to use the following prompts
           when requesting passwords: "New UNIX password: " and "Retype UNIX
           password: ". The example word UNIX can be replaced with this item,
           by default it is empty. This item is used by pam_get_authtok(3).

       If a service module wishes to obtain the name of the user, it should
       not use this function, but instead perform a call to pam_get_user(3).

       Only a service module is privileged to read the authentication tokens,
       PAM_AUTHTOK and PAM_OLDAUTHTOK.

RETURN VALUES

       PAM_BAD_ITEM
           The application attempted to set an undefined or inaccessible item.

       PAM_BUF_ERR
           Memory buffer error.

       PAM_PERM_DENIED
           The value of item was NULL.

       PAM_SUCCESS
           Data was successful updated.

       PAM_SYSTEM_ERR
           The pam_handle_t passed as first argument was invalid.

SEE ALSO

       pam_set_item(3), pam_strerror(3)