PAM_OPEN_SESSION(3)	   App. Programmers Manual	  PAM_OPEN_SESSION(3)



NAME
       pam_open/close_session - PAM session management

SYNOPSIS
       #include 

       int pam_open_session(pam_handle_t *pamh, int  flags);

       int pam_close_session(pam_handle_t *pamh, int  flags);



DESCRIPTION
       PAM provides management-hooks for the initialization and termination of
       a session.


       pam_open_session
	      Use this function to signal that an authenticated  user  session
	      has  begun.  It should be called only after the user is properly
	      identified and (where necessary) has been granted their  creden
	      tials  with pam_authenticate(3) and pam_setcred(3) respectively.

	      Some types of functions associated with  session	initialization
	      are logging for the purposes of system-audit and mounting direc
	      tories (the users home directory for example). These should not
	      concern  the  application. It should be noted that the effective
	      uid, geteuid(2), of the  application  should  be	of  sufficient
	      privilege to perform such tasks.


       pam_close_session
	      Use  this function to signal that a user session has terminated.
	      In general this function may not need to be located in the  same
	      application as the initialization function, pam_open_session.

	      Typically,  this function will undo the actions of pam_open_ses
	      sion.  That is, log audit information concerning the end of  the
	      user  session  or  unmount the users home directory. Apart from
	      having sufficient privilege the details of the session  termina
	      tion should not concern the calling application. It is good pro
	      gramming practice, however, to cease acting  on  behalf  of  the
	      user on returning from this call.


RETURN VALUE
       A successful return from the session management functions will be indi
       cated with PAM_SUCCESS.

       The specific error indicating a failure to open or close a  session  is
       PAM_SESSION_ERR.   In general other return values may be returned. They
       should be treated as indicating failure.


ERRORS
       May be translated to text with pam_strerror(3).


CONFORMING TO
       OSF-RFC 86.0, October 1995.


BUGS
       none known.


SEE ALSO
       pam_start(3),  pam_authenticate(3),  pam_setcred(3),   pam_get_item(3),
       pam_strerror(3) and pam(3).

       Also, see the three Linux-PAM Guides, for System administrators, module
       developers, and application developers.



Linux-PAM 0.55			  1997 Jan 4		   PAM_OPEN_SESSION(3)