# phpman > man > pam_timestamp(8)

[PAM_TIMESTAMP(8)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/PAMTIMESTAMP/8/markdown)                          Linux-PAM Manual                          [PAM_TIMESTAMP(8)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/PAMTIMESTAMP/8/markdown)



## NAME
       pam_timestamp - Authenticate using cached successful authentication attempts

## SYNOPSIS
       **pam**___**timestamp.so** [timestampdir=_directory_] [timestamp_timeout=_number_] [verbose] [debug]

## DESCRIPTION
       In a nutshell, _pam_timestamp_ caches successful authentication attempts, and allows you to use
       a recent successful attempt as the basis for authentication. This is similar mechanism which
       is used in **sudo**.

       When an application opens a session using _pam_timestamp_, a timestamp file is created in the
       _timestampdir_ directory for the user. When an application attempts to authenticate the user, a
       _pam_timestamp_ will treat a sufficiently recent timestamp file as grounds for succeeding.

## OPTIONS
       **timestampdir=**_directory_
           Specify an alternate directory where _pam_timestamp_ creates timestamp files.

       **timestamp**___**timeout=**_number_
           How long should _pam_timestamp_ treat timestamp as valid after their last modification date
           (in seconds). Default is 300 seconds.

### verbose
           Attempt to inform the user when access is granted.

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

## MODULE TYPES PROVIDED
       The **auth** and **session** module types are provided.

## RETURN VALUES
       PAM_AUTH_ERR
           The module was not able to retrieve the user name or no valid timestamp file was found.

       PAM_SUCCESS
           Everything was successful.

       PAM_SESSION_ERR
           Timestamp file could not be created or updated.

## NOTES
       Users can get confused when they are not always asked for passwords when running a given
       program. Some users reflexively begin typing information before noticing that it is not being
       asked for.

## EXAMPLES
           auth sufficient pam_timestamp.so verbose
           auth required   pam_unix.so

           session required pam_unix.so
           session optional pam_timestamp.so


## FILES
       /var/run/pam_timestamp/...
           timestamp files and directories

## SEE ALSO
       **pam**___**timestamp**___**[check**(8)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/check/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**(7)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/pam/7/markdown)

## AUTHOR
       pam_timestamp was written by Nalin Dahyabhai.



Linux-PAM Manual                             06/08/2020                             [PAM_TIMESTAMP(8)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/PAMTIMESTAMP/8/markdown)