# PWHISTORY.CONF - pam_pwhistory configuration file - man(5) - [phpMan]

[_PWHISTORY.CONF_(5)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/PWHISTORY.CONF/5/markdown)                         Linux-PAM Manual                         [_PWHISTORY.CONF_(5)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/PWHISTORY.CONF/5/markdown)

## NAME
       pwhistory.conf - pam_pwhistory configuration file

## DESCRIPTION
       **pwhistory.conf **provides a way to configure the default settings for saving the last passwords
       for each user. This file is read by the _pam_pwhistory_ module and is the preferred method over
       configuring _pam_pwhistory_ directly.

       The file has a very simple _name_ _=_ _value_ format with possible comments starting with _#_
       character. The whitespace at the beginning of line, end of line, and around the _=_ sign is
       ignored.

## OPTIONS
       debug
           Turns on debugging via [**syslog**(3)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/syslog/3/markdown).

       enforce_for_root
           If this option is set, the check is enforced for root, too.

       remember=N
           The last _N_ passwords for each user are saved. The default is _10_. Value of _0_ makes the
           module to keep the existing contents of the opasswd file unchanged.

       retry=N
           Prompt user at most _N_ times before returning with error. The default is 1.

       file=/path/filename
           Store password history in file _/path/filename_ rather than the default location. The
           default location is /etc/security/opasswd.

## EXAMPLES
       /etc/security/pwhistory.conf file example:

           debug
           remember=5
           file=/tmp/opasswd


## FILES
       /etc/security/pwhistory.conf
           the config file for custom options

## SEE ALSO
       [**pwhistory**(8)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/pwhistory/8/markdown), [**pam_pwhistory**(8)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/pampwhistory/8/markdown), [**pam.conf**(5)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/pam.conf/5/markdown), [**pam.d**(5)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/pam.d/5/markdown), [**pam**(8)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/pam/8/markdown)

## AUTHOR
       pam_pwhistory was written by Thorsten Kukuk. The support for pwhistory.conf was written by
       Iker Pedrosa.

Linux-PAM                                    05/07/2023                            [_PWHISTORY.CONF_(5)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/PWHISTORY.CONF/5/markdown)