{
    "mode": "man",
    "parameter": "pam_timestamp",
    "section": "8",
    "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/pam_timestamp/8/json",
    "generated": "2026-06-15T13:13:24Z",
    "synopsis": "pamtimestamp.so [timestampdir=directory] [timestamptimeout=number] [verbose] [debug]",
    "sections": {
        "NAME": {
            "content": "pamtimestamp - Authenticate using cached successful authentication attempts\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "SYNOPSIS": {
            "content": "pamtimestamp.so [timestampdir=directory] [timestamptimeout=number] [verbose] [debug]\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "DESCRIPTION": {
            "content": "In a nutshell, pamtimestamp caches successful authentication attempts, and allows you to use\na recent successful attempt as the basis for authentication. This is similar mechanism which\nis used in sudo.\n\nWhen an application opens a session using pamtimestamp, a timestamp file is created in the\ntimestampdir directory for the user. When an application attempts to authenticate the user, a\npamtimestamp will treat a sufficiently recent timestamp file as grounds for succeeding.\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "OPTIONS": {
            "content": "timestampdir=directory\nSpecify an alternate directory where pamtimestamp creates timestamp files.\n\ntimestamptimeout=number\nHow long should pamtimestamp treat timestamp as valid after their last modification date\n(in seconds). Default is 300 seconds.\n",
            "subsections": [
                {
                    "name": "verbose",
                    "content": "Attempt to inform the user when access is granted.\n"
                },
                {
                    "name": "debug",
                    "content": "Turns on debugging messages sent to syslog(3).\n"
                }
            ]
        },
        "MODULE TYPES PROVIDED": {
            "content": "The auth and session module types are provided.\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "RETURN VALUES": {
            "content": "PAMAUTHERR\nThe module was not able to retrieve the user name or no valid timestamp file was found.\n\nPAMSUCCESS\nEverything was successful.\n\nPAMSESSIONERR\nTimestamp file could not be created or updated.\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "NOTES": {
            "content": "Users can get confused when they are not always asked for passwords when running a given\nprogram. Some users reflexively begin typing information before noticing that it is not being\nasked for.\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "EXAMPLES": {
            "content": "auth sufficient pamtimestamp.so verbose\nauth required   pamunix.so\n\nsession required pamunix.so\nsession optional pamtimestamp.so\n\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "FILES": {
            "content": "/var/run/pamtimestamp/...\ntimestamp files and directories\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "SEE ALSO": {
            "content": "pamtimestampcheck(8), pam.conf(5), pam.d(5), pam(7)\n",
            "subsections": []
        },
        "AUTHOR": {
            "content": "pamtimestamp was written by Nalin Dahyabhai.\n\n\n\nLinux-PAM Manual                             06/08/2020                             PAMTIMESTAMP(8)",
            "subsections": []
        }
    },
    "summary": "pamtimestamp - Authenticate using cached successful authentication attempts",
    "flags": [],
    "examples": [
        "auth sufficient pamtimestamp.so verbose",
        "auth required   pamunix.so",
        "session required pamunix.so",
        "session optional pamtimestamp.so"
    ],
    "see_also": [
        {
            "name": "pamtimestampcheck",
            "section": "8",
            "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/pamtimestampcheck/8/json"
        },
        {
            "name": "pam.conf",
            "section": "5",
            "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/pam.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"
        }
    ]
}