.\"     Title: pam_get_item
.\"    Author: [FIXME: author] [see http://docbook.sf.net/el/author]
.\" Generator: DocBook XSL Stylesheets v1.74.0 <http://docbook.sf.net/>
.\"      Date: 03/02/2009
.\"    Manual: Linux-PAM Manual
.\"    Source: Linux-PAM Manual
.\"  Language: English
.\"
.TH "PAM_GET_ITEM" "3" "03/02/2009" "Linux-PAM Manual" "Linux-PAM Manual"
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.SH "Name"
pam_get_item \- getting PAM informations
.SH "Synopsis"
.sp
.ft B
.fam C
.ps -1
.nf
#include <security/pam_modules\&.h>
.fi
.fam
.ps +1
.ft
.fam C
.HP \w'int\ pam_get_item('u
.BI "int pam_get_item(const\ pam_handle_t\ *" "pamh" ", int\ " "item_type" ", const\ void\ **" "item" ");"
.fam
.SH "DESCRIPTION"
.PP
The
\fBpam_get_item\fR
function allows applications and PAM service modules to access and retrieve PAM informations of
\fIitem_type\fR\&. Upon successful return,
\fIitem\fR
contains a pointer to the value of the corresponding item\&. Note, this is a pointer to the
\fIactual\fR
data and should
\fBnot\fR
be
\fIfree()\fR\'ed or over\-written! The following values are supported for
\fIitem_type\fR:
.PP
PAM_SERVICE
.RS 4
The service name (which identifies that PAM stack that the PAM functions will use to authenticate the program)\&.
.RE
.PP
PAM_USER
.RS 4
The username of the entity under whose identity service will be given\&. That is, following authentication,
\fIPAM_USER\fR
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
\fIPAM_USER\fR
after each call to a PAM function\&.
.RE
.PP
PAM_USER_PROMPT
.RS 4
The string used when prompting for a user\'s name\&. The default value for this string is a localized version of "login: "\&.
.RE
.PP
PAM_TTY
.RS 4
The terminal name: prefixed by
\FC/dev/\F[]
if it is a device file; for graphical, X\-based, applications the value for this item should be the
\fI$DISPLAY\fR
variable\&.
.RE
.PP
PAM_RUSER
.RS 4
The requesting user name: local name for a locally requesting user or a remote user name for a remote requesting user\&.
.sp
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\&.
.sp

\fIPAM_RUSER@PAM_RHOST\fR
should always identify the requesting user\&. In some cases,
\fIPAM_RUSER\fR
may be NULL\&. In such situations, it is unclear who the requesting entity is\&.
.RE
.PP
PAM_RHOST
.RS 4
The requesting hostname (the hostname of the machine from which the
\fIPAM_RUSER\fR
entity is requesting service)\&. That is
\fIPAM_RUSER@PAM_RHOST\fR
does identify the requesting user\&. In some applications,
\fIPAM_RHOST\fR
may be NULL\&. In such situations, it is unclear where the authentication request is originating from\&.
.RE
.PP
PAM_AUTHTOK
.RS 4
The authentication token (often a password)\&. This token should be ignored by all module functions besides
\fBpam_sm_authenticate\fR(3)
and
\fBpam_sm_chauthtok\fR(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\&.
.RE
.PP
PAM_OLDAUTHTOK
.RS 4
The old authentication token\&. This token should be ignored by all module functions except
\fBpam_sm_chauthtok\fR(3)\&.
.RE
.PP
PAM_CONV
.RS 4
The pam_conv structure\&. See
\fBpam_conv\fR(3)\&.
.RE
.PP
The following additional items are specific to Linux\-PAM and should not be used in portable applications:
.PP
PAM_FAIL_DELAY
.RS 4
A function pointer to redirect centrally managed failure delays\&. See
\fBpam_fail_delay\fR(3)\&.
.RE
.PP
PAM_XDISPLAY
.RS 4
The name of the X display\&. For graphical, X\-based applications the value for this item should be the
\fI$DISPLAY\fR
variable\&. This value may be used independently of
\fIPAM_TTY\fR
for passing the name of the display\&.
.RE
.PP
PAM_XAUTHDATA
.RS 4
A pointer to a structure containing the X authentication data required to make a connection to the display specified by
\fIPAM_XDISPLAY\fR, if such information is necessary\&. See
\fBpam_xauth_data\fR(3)\&.
.RE
.PP
PAM_AUTHTOK_TYPE
.RS 4
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
\fIUNIX\fR
can be replaced with this item, by default it is empty\&. This item is used by
\fBpam_get_authtok\fR(3)\&.
.RE
.PP
If a service module wishes to obtain the name of the user, it should not use this function, but instead perform a call to
\fBpam_get_user\fR(3)\&.
.PP
Only a service module is privileged to read the authentication tokens, PAM_AUTHTOK and PAM_OLDAUTHTOK\&.
.SH "RETURN VALUES"
.PP
PAM_BAD_ITEM
.RS 4
The application attempted to set an undefined or inaccessible item\&.
.RE
.PP
PAM_BUF_ERR
.RS 4
Memory buffer error\&.
.RE
.PP
PAM_PERM_DENIED
.RS 4
The value of
\fIitem\fR
was NULL\&.
.RE
.PP
PAM_SUCCESS
.RS 4
Data was successful updated\&.
.RE
.PP
PAM_SYSTEM_ERR
.RS 4
The
\fIpam_handle_t\fR
passed as first argument was invalid\&.
.RE
.SH "SEE ALSO"
.PP

\fBpam_set_item\fR(3),
\fBpam_strerror\fR(3)