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PAM_SYSTEMD(8) pam_systemd PAM_SYSTEMD(8)
NAME
pam_systemd - Register user sessions in the systemd login manager
SYNOPSIS
pam_systemd.so
DESCRIPTION
pam_systemd registers user sessions with the systemd login manager systemd-
logind.service(8), and hence the systemd control group hierarchy.
The module also applies various resource management and runtime parameters to the new
session, as configured in the JSON User Records[1] of the user, when one is defined.
On login, this module -- in conjunction with systemd-logind.service -- ensures the
following:
1. If it does not exist yet, the user runtime directory /run/user/$UID is either created
or mounted as new "tmpfs" file system with quota applied, and its ownership changed to
the user that is logging in.
2. The $XDG_SESSION_ID environment variable is initialized. If auditing is available and
pam_loginuid.so was run before this module (which is highly recommended), the variable
is initialized from the auditing session id (/proc/self/sessionid). Otherwise, an
independent session counter is used.
3. A new systemd scope unit is created for the session. If this is the first concurrent
session of the user, an implicit per-user slice unit below user.slice is automatically
created and the scope placed into it. An instance of the system service user@.service,
which runs the systemd user manager instance, is started.
4. The "$TZ", "$EMAIL" and "$LANG" environment variables are configured for the user,
based on the respective data from the user's JSON record (if it is defined). Moreover,
any environment variables explicitly configured in the user record are imported, and
the umask, nice level, and resource limits initialized.
On logout, this module ensures the following:
1. If enabled in logind.conf(5) (KillUserProcesses=), all processes of the session are
terminated. If the last concurrent session of a user ends, the user's systemd instance
will be terminated too, and so will the user's slice unit.
2. If the last concurrent session of a user ends, the user runtime directory
/run/user/$UID and all its contents are removed, too.
If the system was not booted up with systemd as init system, this module does nothing and
immediately returns PAM_SUCCESS.
OPTIONS
The following options are understood:
class=
Takes a string argument which sets the session class. The XDG_SESSION_CLASS
environment variable (see below) takes precedence. One of "user", "greeter",
"lock-screen" or "background". See sd_session_get_class(3) for details about the
session class.
type=
Takes a string argument which sets the session type. The XDG_SESSION_TYPE environment
variable (see below) takes precedence. One of "unspecified", "tty", "x11", "wayland"
or "mir". See sd_session_get_type(3) for details about the session type.
desktop=
Takes a single, short identifier string for the desktop environment. The
XDG_SESSION_DESKTOP environment variable (see below) takes precedence. This may be
used to indicate the session desktop used, where this applies and if this information
is available. For example: "GNOME", or "KDE". It is recommended to use the same
identifiers and capitalization as for $XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP, as defined by the Desktop
Entry Specification[2]. (However, note that the option only takes a single item, and
not a colon-separated list like $XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP.) See sd_session_get_desktop(3)
for further details.
debug[=]
Takes an optional boolean argument. If yes or without the argument, the module will
log debugging information as it operates.
MODULE TYPES PROVIDED
Only session is provided.
ENVIRONMENT
The following environment variables are initialized by the module and available to the
processes of the user's session:
$XDG_SESSION_ID
A short session identifier, suitable to be used in filenames. The string itself should
be considered opaque, although often it is just the audit session ID as reported by
/proc/self/sessionid. Each ID will be assigned only once during machine uptime. It may
hence be used to uniquely label files or other resources of this session. Combine this
ID with the boot identifier, as returned by sd_id128_get_boot(3), for a globally
unique identifier.
$XDG_RUNTIME_DIR
Path to a user-private user-writable directory that is bound to the user login time on
the machine. It is automatically created the first time a user logs in and removed on
the user's final logout. If a user logs in twice at the same time, both sessions will
see the same $XDG_RUNTIME_DIR and the same contents. If a user logs in once, then logs
out again, and logs in again, the directory contents will have been lost in between,
but applications should not rely on this behavior and must be able to deal with stale
files. To store session-private data in this directory, the user should include the
value of $XDG_SESSION_ID in the filename. This directory shall be used for runtime
file system objects such as AF_UNIX sockets, FIFOs, PID files and similar. It is
guaranteed that this directory is local and offers the greatest possible file system
feature set the operating system provides. For further details, see the XDG Base
Directory Specification[3]. $XDG_RUNTIME_DIR is not set if the current user is not
the original user of the session.
$TZ, $EMAIL, $LANG
If a JSON user record is known for the user logging in these variables are initialized
from the respective data in the record.
The following environment variables are read by the module and may be used by the PAM
service to pass metadata to the module. If these variables are not set when the PAM module
is invoked but can be determined otherwise they are set by the module, so that these
variables are initialized for the session and applications if known at all.
$XDG_SESSION_TYPE
The session type. This may be used instead of type= on the module parameter line, and
is usually preferred.
$XDG_SESSION_CLASS
The session class. This may be used instead of class= on the module parameter line,
and is usually preferred.
$XDG_SESSION_DESKTOP
The desktop identifier. This may be used instead of desktop= on the module parameter
line, and is usually preferred.
$XDG_SEAT
The seat name the session shall be registered for, if any.
$XDG_VTNR
The VT number the session shall be registered for, if any. (Only applies to seats with
a VT available, such as "seat0")
If not set, pam_systemd will initialize $XDG_SEAT and $XDG_VTNR based on the $DISPLAY
variable (if the latter is set).
SESSION LIMITS
PAM modules earlier in the stack, that is those that come before pam_systemd.so, can set
session scope limits using the PAM context objects. The data for these objects is provided
as NUL-terminated C strings and maps directly to the respective unit resource control
directives. Note that these limits apply to individual sessions of the user, they do not
apply to all user processes as a combined whole. In particular, the per-user user@.service
unit instance, which runs the systemd --user manager process and its children, and is
tracked outside of any session, being shared by all the user's sessions, is not covered by
these limits.
See systemd.resource-control(5) for more information about the resources. Also, see
pam_set_data(3) for additional information about how to set the context objects.
systemd.memory_max=
Sets unit MemoryMax=.
systemd.tasks_max=
Sets unit TasksMax=.
systemd.cpu_weight=
Sets unit CPUWeight=.
systemd.io_weight=
Sets unit IOWeight=.
systemd.runtime_max_sec=
Sets unit RuntimeMaxSec=.
Example data as can be provided from an another PAM module:
pam_set_data(handle, "systemd.memory_max", (void *)"200M", cleanup);
pam_set_data(handle, "systemd.tasks_max", (void *)"50", cleanup);
pam_set_data(handle, "systemd.cpu_weight", (void *)"100", cleanup);
pam_set_data(handle, "systemd.io_weight", (void *)"340", cleanup);
pam_set_data(handle, "systemd.runtime_max_sec", (void *)"3600", cleanup);
EXAMPLE
Here's an example PAM configuration fragment that allows users sessions to be managed by
systemd-logind.service:
#%PAM-1.0
auth sufficient pam_unix.so
-auth sufficient pam_systemd_home.so
auth required pam_deny.so
account required pam_nologin.so
-account sufficient pam_systemd_home.so
account sufficient pam_unix.so
account required pam_permit.so
-password sufficient pam_systemd_home.so
password sufficient pam_unix.so sha512 shadow try_first_pass use_authtok
password required pam_deny.so
-session optional pam_keyinit.so revoke
-session optional pam_loginuid.so
-session optional pam_systemd_home.so
-session optional pam_systemd.so
session required pam_unix.so
SEE ALSO
systemd(1), systemd-logind.service(8), logind.conf(5), loginctl(1), pam_systemd_home(8),
pam.conf(5), pam.d(5), pam(8), pam_loginuid(8), systemd.scope(5), systemd.slice(5),
systemd.service(5)
NOTES
1. JSON User Records
https://systemd.io/USER_RECORD
2. Desktop Entry Specification
http://standards.freedesktop.org/desktop-entry-spec/latest/
3. XDG Base Directory Specification
http://standards.freedesktop.org/basedir-spec/basedir-spec-latest.html
systemd 249 PAM_SYSTEMD(8)
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