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<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"><title>6.6. pam_env - set/unset environment variables</title><meta name="generator" content="DocBook XSL Stylesheets V1.78.1"><link rel="home" href="Linux-PAM_SAG.html" title="The Linux-PAM System Administrators' Guide"><link rel="up" href="sag-module-reference.html" title="Chapter 6. A reference guide for available modules"><link rel="prev" href="sag-pam_echo.html" title="6.5. pam_echo - print text messages"><link rel="next" href="sag-pam_exec.html" title="6.7. pam_exec - call an external command"></head><body bgcolor="white" text="black" link="#0000FF" vlink="#840084" alink="#0000FF"><div class="navheader"><table width="100%" summary="Navigation header"><tr><th colspan="3" align="center">6.6. pam_env - set/unset environment variables</th></tr><tr><td width="20%" align="left"><a accesskey="p" href="sag-pam_echo.html">Prev</a> </td><th width="60%" align="center">Chapter 6. A reference guide for available modules</th><td width="20%" align="right"> <a accesskey="n" href="sag-pam_exec.html">Next</a></td></tr></table><hr></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="sag-pam_env"></a>6.6. pam_env - set/unset environment variables</h2></div></div></div><div class="cmdsynopsis"><p><code class="command">pam_env.so</code> [ debug ] [ conffile=<em class="replaceable"><code>conf-file</code></em> ] [ envfile=<em class="replaceable"><code>env-file</code></em> ] [ readenv=<em class="replaceable"><code>0|1</code></em> ] [ user_envfile=<em class="replaceable"><code>env-file</code></em> ] [ user_readenv=<em class="replaceable"><code>0|1</code></em> ]</p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="sag-pam_env-description"></a>6.6.1. DESCRIPTION</h3></div></div></div><p> The pam_env PAM module allows the (un)setting of environment variables. Supported is the use of previously set environment variables as well as <span class="emphasis"><em>PAM_ITEM</em></span>s such as <span class="emphasis"><em>PAM_RHOST</em></span>. </p><p> By default rules for (un)setting of variables is taken from the config file <code class="filename">/etc/security/pam_env.conf</code> if no other file is specified. </p><p> This module can also parse a file with simple <span class="emphasis"><em>KEY=VAL</em></span> pairs on separate lines (<code class="filename">/etc/environment</code> by default). You can change the default file to parse, with the <span class="emphasis"><em>envfile</em></span> flag and turn it on or off by setting the <span class="emphasis"><em>readenv</em></span> flag to 1 or 0 respectively. </p><p> Since setting of PAM environment variables can have side effects to other modules, this module should be the last one on the stack. </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="sag-pam_env.conf-description"></a>6.6.2. DESCRIPTION</h3></div></div></div><p> The <code class="filename">/etc/security/pam_env.conf</code> file specifies the environment variables to be set, unset or modified by <span class="citerefentry"><span class="refentrytitle">pam_env</span>(8)</span>. When someone logs in, this file is read and the environment variables are set according. </p><p> Each line starts with the variable name, there are then two possible options for each variable DEFAULT and OVERRIDE. DEFAULT allows and administrator to set the value of the variable to some default value, if none is supplied then the empty string is assumed. The OVERRIDE option tells pam_env that it should enter in its value (overriding the default value) if there is one to use. OVERRIDE is not used, "" is assumed and no override will be done. </p><p> <em class="replaceable"><code>VARIABLE</code></em> [<em class="replaceable"><code>DEFAULT=[value]</code></em>] [<em class="replaceable"><code>OVERRIDE=[value]</code></em>] </p><p> (Possibly non-existent) environment variables may be used in values using the ${string} syntax and (possibly non-existent) PAM_ITEMs may be used in values using the @{string} syntax. Both the $ and @ characters can be backslash escaped to be used as literal values values can be delimited with "", escaped " not supported. Note that many environment variables that you would like to use may not be set by the time the module is called. For example, HOME is used below several times, but many PAM applications don't make it available by the time you need it. </p><p> The "<span class="emphasis"><em>#</em></span>" character at start of line (no space at front) can be used to mark this line as a comment line. </p><p> The <code class="filename">/etc/environment</code> file specifies the environment variables to be set. The file must consist of simple <span class="emphasis"><em>NAME=VALUE</em></span> pairs on separate lines. The <span class="citerefentry"><span class="refentrytitle">pam_env</span>(8)</span> module will read the file after the <code class="filename">pam_env.conf</code> file. </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="sag-pam_env-options"></a>6.6.3. OPTIONS</h3></div></div></div><div class="variablelist"><dl class="variablelist"><dt><span class="term"> <code class="option">conffile=<em class="replaceable"><code>/path/to/pam_env.conf</code></em></code> </span></dt><dd><p> Indicate an alternative <code class="filename">pam_env.conf</code> style configuration file to override the default. This can be useful when different services need different environments. </p></dd><dt><span class="term"> <code class="option">debug</code> </span></dt><dd><p> A lot of debug information is printed with <span class="citerefentry"><span class="refentrytitle">syslog</span>(3)</span>. </p></dd><dt><span class="term"> <code class="option">envfile=<em class="replaceable"><code>/path/to/environment</code></em></code> </span></dt><dd><p> Indicate an alternative <code class="filename">environment</code> file to override the default. This can be useful when different services need different environments. </p></dd><dt><span class="term"> <code class="option">readenv=<em class="replaceable"><code>0|1</code></em></code> </span></dt><dd><p> Turns on or off the reading of the file specified by envfile (0 is off, 1 is on). By default this option is on. </p></dd><dt><span class="term"> <code class="option">user_envfile=<em class="replaceable"><code>filename</code></em></code> </span></dt><dd><p> Indicate an alternative <code class="filename">.pam_environment</code> file to override the default. This can be useful when different services need different environments. The filename is relative to the user home directory. </p></dd><dt><span class="term"> <code class="option">user_readenv=<em class="replaceable"><code>0|1</code></em></code> </span></dt><dd><p> Turns on or off the reading of the user specific environment file. 0 is off, 1 is on. By default this option is off as user supplied environment variables in the PAM environment could affect behavior of subsequent modules in the stack without the consent of the system administrator. </p></dd></dl></div></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="sag-pam_env-types"></a>6.6.4. MODULE TYPES PROVIDED</h3></div></div></div><p> The <code class="option">auth</code> and <code class="option">session</code> module types are provided. </p></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="sag-pam_env-return_values"></a>6.6.5. RETURN VALUES</h3></div></div></div><div class="variablelist"><dl class="variablelist"><dt><span class="term">PAM_ABORT</span></dt><dd><p> Not all relevant data or options could be gotten. </p></dd><dt><span class="term">PAM_BUF_ERR</span></dt><dd><p> Memory buffer error. </p></dd><dt><span class="term">PAM_IGNORE</span></dt><dd><p> No pam_env.conf and environment file was found. </p></dd><dt><span class="term">PAM_SUCCESS</span></dt><dd><p> Environment variables were set. </p></dd></dl></div></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="sag-pam_env-files"></a>6.6.6. FILES</h3></div></div></div><div class="variablelist"><dl class="variablelist"><dt><span class="term"><code class="filename">/etc/security/pam_env.conf</code></span></dt><dd><p>Default configuration file</p></dd><dt><span class="term"><code class="filename">/etc/environment</code></span></dt><dd><p>Default environment file</p></dd><dt><span class="term"><code class="filename">$HOME/.pam_environment</code></span></dt><dd><p>User specific environment file</p></dd></dl></div></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="sag-pam_env.conf-examples"></a>6.6.7. EXAMPLES</h3></div></div></div><p> These are some example lines which might be specified in <code class="filename">/etc/security/pam_env.conf</code>. </p><p> Set the REMOTEHOST variable for any hosts that are remote, default to "localhost" rather than not being set at all </p><pre class="programlisting"> REMOTEHOST DEFAULT=localhost OVERRIDE=@{PAM_RHOST} </pre><p> Set the DISPLAY variable if it seems reasonable </p><pre class="programlisting"> DISPLAY DEFAULT=${REMOTEHOST}:0.0 OVERRIDE=${DISPLAY} </pre><p> Now some simple variables </p><pre class="programlisting"> PAGER DEFAULT=less MANPAGER DEFAULT=less LESS DEFAULT="M q e h15 z23 b80" NNTPSERVER DEFAULT=localhost PATH DEFAULT=${HOME}/bin:/usr/local/bin:/bin\ :/usr/bin:/usr/local/bin/X11:/usr/bin/X11 </pre><p> Silly examples of escaped variables, just to show how they work. </p><pre class="programlisting"> DOLLAR DEFAULT=\$ DOLLARDOLLAR DEFAULT= OVERRIDE=\$${DOLLAR} DOLLARPLUS DEFAULT=\${REMOTEHOST}${REMOTEHOST} ATSIGN DEFAULT="" OVERRIDE=\@ </pre></div><div class="section"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title"><a name="sag-pam_env-authors"></a>6.6.8. AUTHOR</h3></div></div></div><p> pam_env was written by Dave Kinchlea <kinch@kinch.ark.com>. </p></div></div><div class="navfooter"><hr><table width="100%" summary="Navigation footer"><tr><td width="40%" align="left"><a accesskey="p" href="sag-pam_echo.html">Prev</a> </td><td width="20%" align="center"><a accesskey="u" href="sag-module-reference.html">Up</a></td><td width="40%" align="right"> <a accesskey="n" href="sag-pam_exec.html">Next</a></td></tr><tr><td width="40%" align="left" valign="top">6.5. pam_echo - print text messages </td><td width="20%" align="center"><a accesskey="h" href="Linux-PAM_SAG.html">Home</a></td><td width="40%" align="right" valign="top"> 6.7. pam_exec - call an external command</td></tr></table></div></body></html>