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.\"	$Id: pwauth.8,v 1.4 1998/12/28 20:35:22 marekm Exp $
.\"
.TH PWAUTH 8
.SH NAME
pwauth \- administrator defined password authentication
.SH DESCRIPTION
The system administrator is able to define a list of programs which
are used to validate a user's identity.
These programs are given in place of the encrypted password
information which is present in either the \fI/etc/passwd\fR or
\fI/etc/shadow\fR files.
The utilities which administer user accounts examine the encrypted
password field and determine if the user has an administrator defined
authentication program.
The \fBpw_auth\fR function will be invoked whenever one of these
administration programs determines that a user which is being altered
has authentication programs defined.
.PP
The initial entry is created with the \fBuseradd\fR command.
Alterations, such as changing authentication information or deleting
the user account, will cause the \fBpw_auth\fR function to be invoked.
This keeps the authentication information up to date for each user
account.
.PP
The authentication programs do not create the actual login or network
sessions. 
The exit code from the authentication program is taken as an
indication that the action is to be permitted.
The calling process must have the appropriate priviledges to create
the login or network session itself.
.SH SEE ALSO
.BR login (1),
.BR passwd (1),
.BR su (1),
.BR useradd (8),
.BR userdel (8),
.BR usermod (8),
.BR pw_auth (3)
.SH AUTHOR
Julianne Frances Haugh (jfh@bga.com)