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

NAME

       pam_open/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 iden-
	      tified and (where necessary) has been granted their credentials 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_session.

	      Typically,  this	function will undo the actions of pam_open_session.  That is, log audit information 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)