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PAM_OPEN_SESSION(3)                       App. Programmers' Manual                       PAM_OPEN_SESSION(3)



NAME
       pam_open_session, pam_close_session - PAM session management


SYNOPSIS
       #include <security/pam_appl.h>

       int pam_open_session(pam_handle_t *pamh, int  flags);

       int pam_close_session(pam_handle_t *pamh, int  flags);



DESCRIPTION
       PAM provides management-hooks for the initialization and termination of a session.


       pam_open_session
              Use  this function to signal that an authenticated user session has begun. It should be called
              only after the user is properly identified and (where necessary) has been granted  their  cre-dentials credentials
              dentials with pam_authenticate(3) and pam_setcred(3) respectively.

              Some types of functions associated with session initialization are logging for the purposes of
              system-audit and mounting directories (the user's home directory for  example).  These  should
              not  concern  the  application.  It should be noted that the effective uid, geteuid(2), of the
              application should be of sufficient privilege to perform such tasks.


       pam_close_session
              Use this function to signal that a user session has terminated. In general this  function  may
              not  need  to be located in the same application as the initialization function, pam_open_ses-sion. pam_open_session.
              sion.

              Typically, this function will undo the actions of pam_open_session.  That is, log audit infor-mation information
              mation concerning the end of the user session or unmount the user's home directory. Apart from
              having sufficient privilege the details of the session  termination  should  not  concern  the
              calling  application.  It  is good programming practice, however, to cease acting on behalf of
              the user on returning from this call.


RETURN VALUE
       A successful return from the session management functions will be indicated with PAM_SUCCESS.

       The specific error indicating a failure to open or close a session is  PAM_SESSION_ERR.   In  general
       other return values may be returned. They should be treated as indicating failure.


ERRORS
       May be translated to text with pam_strerror(3).


CONFORMING TO
       OSF-RFC 86.0, October 1995.


BUGS
       none known.


SEE ALSO
       pam_start(3), pam_authenticate(3), pam_setcred(3), pam_get_item(3), pam_strerror(3) and pam(3).

       Also,  see  the three Linux-PAM Guides, for System administrators, module developers, and application
       developers.



Linux-PAM 0.55                                   1997 Jan 4                              PAM_OPEN_SESSION(3)