{
    "mode": "man",
    "parameter": "pam_cap",
    "section": "8",
    "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/pam_cap/8/json",
    "generated": "2026-06-14T00:15:52Z",
    "synopsis": "pamcap.so [config=/path/to/capability.conf] [debug]",
    "sections": {
        "NAME": {
            "content": "pamcap - PAM module to set inheritable capabilities\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "SYNOPSIS": {
            "content": "pamcap.so [config=/path/to/capability.conf] [debug]\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "DESCRIPTION": {
            "content": "The pamcap PAM module sets the current process' inheritable capabilities.\n\nCapabilities are read from the /etc/security/capability.conf config file, or alternate file\nspecified with the config= option.\n\nThe module must not be called by a multithreaded application.\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "OPTIONS": {
            "content": "config=/path/to/capability.conf\nIndicate an alternative capability.conf style configuration file to override the default.\n",
            "subsections": [
                {
                    "name": "debug",
                    "content": "Print debug information.\n"
                }
            ]
        },
        "MODULE TYPES PROVIDED": {
            "content": "Only the authentication module type is provided.\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "RETURN VALUES": {
            "content": "PAMAUTHERR\nThe user is not known to the system.\n\nPAMIGNORE\nNo capabilities found for this user.\n\nPAMINCOMPLETE\nIndicates a PAM-Conversation failure.\n\nPAMSUCCESS\nCapabilities were set.\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "FILES": {
            "content": "/etc/security/capability.conf\nDefault configuration file\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "EXAMPLES": {
            "content": "Nearly all applications/daemons which use PAM for authentication contain a configuration\nline: @include common-auth.  Thus, to set inheritable capabilities in all of these\napplications, add the following as the last line to /etc/pam.d/common-auth\n\nauth      optional        pamcap.so\n\nTo set inheritable capabilities for a user in a specific application, or in application(s)\nwhich do not @include common-auth, add the line below to the application-specific file; e.g.\n/etc/pam.d/myapp\n\nauth      optional        pamcap.so\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "SEE ALSO": {
            "content": "capability.conf(5), pam.d(5), pam(7).\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "AUTHORS": {
            "content": "pamcap was initially written by Andrew G. Morgan <morgan@kernel.org>\n\n\n\nLinux-PAM Manual                             09/23/2011                                   PAMCAP(8)",
            "subsections": []
        }
    },
    "summary": "pamcap - PAM module to set inheritable capabilities",
    "flags": [],
    "examples": [
        "Nearly all applications/daemons which use PAM for authentication contain a configuration",
        "line: @include common-auth.  Thus, to set inheritable capabilities in all of these",
        "applications, add the following as the last line to /etc/pam.d/common-auth",
        "auth      optional        pamcap.so",
        "To set inheritable capabilities for a user in a specific application, or in application(s)",
        "which do not @include common-auth, add the line below to the application-specific file; e.g.",
        "/etc/pam.d/myapp",
        "auth      optional        pamcap.so"
    ],
    "see_also": [
        {
            "name": "capability.conf",
            "section": "5",
            "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/capability.conf/5/json"
        },
        {
            "name": "pam.d",
            "section": "5",
            "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/pam.d/5/json"
        },
        {
            "name": "pam",
            "section": "7",
            "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/pam/7/json"
        }
    ]
}